The Sports Report: Insiders break down the Lakers-Warriors series

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

From Dan Woike: You can be forgiven if your mind goes to a specific place when you first start thinking about the Lakers’ upcoming playoff series with the Golden State Warriors.

Yeah, it’s regional, L.A. versus the Bay Area, but in this league, it’s another round of the NBA’s two biggest stars meeting in the playoffs again, this time the Western Conference semifinals, which open Tuesday night in San Francisco.

LeBron James and Stephen Curry have shared the court for four different NBA Finals, James and his Cavaliers winning once, and now they’ll do it again for the first time in the same conference.

The Times spoke with three NBA insiders — one Western Conference executive, one Western Conference scout and one Eastern Conference scout — to get their initial reactions on the matchup and which team has the edge. They spoke on condition of anonymity since they are not authorized to speak publicly on such matters.

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Photos | Stars are out at Lakers

NBA PLAYOFFS
Results, schedule
All times Pacific
Conference semifinals

Western Conference

No. 6 Golden State vs. No. 7 Lakers
Tuesday at Golden State, 7 p.m., TNT
Thursday at Golden State, 6 p.m., ESPN
Saturday at Lakers, 5:30 p.m., ABC
Monday, May 8 at Lakers, 7 p.m., TNT
*Wed., May 10 at Golden State, TBD, TNT
*Friday, May 12 at Lakers, TBD, ESPN
*Sunday, May 14 at Golden State, TBD

No. 1 Denver vs. No. 4 Phoenix
Game 1: at Denver 125, Phoenix 107
Tonight at Denver, 7 p.m., TNT
Friday at Phoenix, 7 p.m., ESPN
Sunday at Phoenix, 5 p.m., TNT
*Tuesday, May 9 at Denver, TBD, TNT
*Thursday, May 11 at Phoenix, TBD, ESPN
*Sunday, May 14 at Denver, TBD

Eastern Conference

No. 2 Boston vs. No. 3 Philadelphia
Today at Boston, 4:30 p.m., TNT
Wednesday at Boston, 5 p.m., TNT
Friday at Philadelphia, 4:30 p.m., ESPN
Sunday at Philadelphia, 12:30 p.m., ESPN
*Tuesday, May 9 at Boston, TBD, TNT
*Thursday, May 11 at Philadelphia, TBD, ESPN
*Sunday, May 14 at Boston, TBD

No. 5 New York vs. No. 8 Miami
Game 1: Miami 108, at New York 101
Tuesday at New York, 4:30 p.m., TNT
Saturday at Miami, 12:30 p.m., ABC
Monday, May 8 at Miami, 4:30 p.m., TNT
*Wed., May 10 at New York, TBD, TNT
*Friday, May 12 at Miami, TBD, ESPN
*Monday, May 15 at New York, 5 p.m., TNT

*-if necessary

KINGS

From Helene Elliott: The gloomy skies outside the Kings’ El Segundo practice rink matched their mood the morning after their so-close-yet-so-far playoff elimination by the Edmonton Oilers. Forward Kevin Fiala, who begged out of interviews Saturday after the 5-4 loss in Game 6 that sent the Kings home, still wasn’t inclined to be chatty Sunday.

“What do you want me to say? We’re out,” he said. “First-round exit — too early, in my opinion.”

What the Kings hoped would be a marathon Stanley Cup run was cut short because the Oilers outmaneuvered them strategically and outscored most of their own mistakes thanks to brilliant star turns by Leon Draisaitl (seven goals, 11 points) and Connor McDavid (three goals, 10 points). Both teams had improved since they’d met a year ago and Edmonton rallied to win a seven-game series, but that didn’t do the Kings much good this time around.

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NHL playoffs
Results, schedule
All times Pacific

Western Conference

Edmonton [P2] vs. Kings [P3]
Game 1: Kings 4, at Edmonton 3 (OT)
Game 2: at Edmonton 4, Kings 2
Game 3: at Kings 3, Edmonton 2 (OT)
Game 4: Edmonton 5, at Kings 4 (OT)
Game 5: at Edmonton 6, Kings 3
Game 6: Edmonton 5, at Kings 4

Colorado [C1] vs. Seattle [WC1]
Game 1: Seattle 3, at Colorado 1
Game 2: at Colorado 3, Seattle 2
Game 3: Colorado 6, at Seattle 4
Game 4: at Seattle 3, Colorado 2 (OT)
Game 5: Seattle 3, at Colorado 2
Game 6: Colorado 4, at Seattle 1
Game 7: Seattle 2, at Colorado 1

Dallas [C2] vs. Minnesota [C3]
Game 1: Minnesota 3, at Dallas 2 (2OT)
Game 2: at Dallas 7, Minnesota 3
Game 3: at Minnesota 5, Dallas 1
Game 4: Dallas 3, at Minnesota 2
Game 5: at Dallas 4, Minnesota 0
Game 6: Dallas 4, at Minnesota 1

Vegas [P1] vs. Winnipeg [WC2]
Game 1: Winnipeg 5, at Vegas 1
Game 2: at Vegas 5, Winnipeg 2
Game 3: Vegas 5, at Winnipeg 4 (2 OT)
Game 4: Vegas 4, at Winnipeg 2
Game 5: at Vegas 4, Winnipeg 1

Eastern Conference

Boston [A1] vs. Florida [WC2]
Game 1: at Boston 3, Florida 1
Game 2: Florida 6, at Boston 3
Game 3: Boston 4, at Florida 2
Game 4: Boston 6, at Florida 2
Game 5: Florida 4, at Boston 3 (OT)
Game 6: at Florida 7, Boston 5
Game 7: Florida 4, at Boston 3 (OT)

Toronto [A2] vs. Tampa Bay [A3]
Game 1: Tampa Bay 7, at Toronto 3
Game 2: at Toronto 7, Tampa Bay 2
Game 3: Toronto 4, at Tampa Bay 3 (OT)
Game 4: Toronto 5, at Tampa Bay 4 (OT)
Game 5: Tampa Bay 4, at Toronto 2
Game 6: Toronto 2, at Tampa Bay 1 (OT)

Carolina [M1] vs. NY Islanders [WC1]
Game 1: at Carolina 2, NY Islanders 1
Game 2: at Carolina 4, NY Islanders 3 (OT)
Game 3: at NY Islanders 5, Carolina 1
Game 4: Carolina 5, at NY Islanders 2
Game 5: NY Islanders 3, at Carolina 2 (OT)
Game 6: Carolina 2, at NY Islanders 1

New Jersey [M2] vs. NY Rangers [M3]
Game 1: NY Rangers 5, at New Jersey 1
Game 2: NY Rangers 5, at New Jersey 1
Game 3: New Jersey 2, at NY Rangers 1 (OT)
Game 4: New Jersey 3, at NY Rangers 1
Game 5: at New Jersey 4, NY Rangers 0
Game 6: at NY Rangers 5, New Jersey 2
Today at New Jersey, 5 p.m., ESPN

*-if necessary

DODGERS

From Mike DiGiovanna: A Dodgers lineup that ranks second in the major leagues with 47 homers took a swing shift on the assembly line Sunday, manufacturing four runs with productive outs and one with a wild pitch in a 6-3 victory to complete a three-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals in Chavez Ravine.

A sellout crowd of 52,304 saw the Dodgers get outhit 10-7 and go one for 15 with runners in scoring position, but they drew eight walks, stole three bases and put the ball in play with runners on third and fewer than two outs.

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A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? Why is Frank McCourt really pushing this?

ANGELS

Shohei Ohtani hit a third-inning drive to center field, a no-doubt home run.

“I kept waiting for it to hit somewhere up on the scoreboard. Then I saw the metrics,” Angels manager Phil Nevin said. “I haven’t seen many like that. He’s special, and we see something new each day with him.”

Ohtani’s shot off Milwaukee’s Colin Rea reached 162 feet above the field, the highest since Statcast started tracking in 2015, and helped the Angels beat the Brewers 3-0 on Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep.

SPARKS

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: With the anticipation of a child waiting for Santa’s visit, Curt Miller rose at 6 a.m. Sunday. The Sparks head coach was ready to unwrap a new season and assemble his new roster on his personal basketball Christmas.

After an offseason focused on rebuilding the once-proud franchise’s business operations and team personnel, the first-year head coach can eagerly return to what he loves most — teaching basketball.

“I haven’t looked forward to a first day like this in a long, long time,” he said Sunday at El Camino College, where the Sparks opened training camp. “There’s something special about building your foundation, building a culture and starting, starting again with a whole new group of players.”

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HORSE RACING

From John Cherwa: There are moments in sports which forever embed themselves in the minds of those who watched it, either live or through an endless video loop.

There was Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant bringing their teams back with furious fourth-quarter rallies. Muhammad Ali standing over a fallen Sonny Liston. Brandi Chastain’s celebration after winning the 1999 Women’s World Cup. Or Kirk Gibson hobbling around the bases after his pinch-hit home run in the 1988 World Series.

But the one that you can expect to see over and over for the next six weeks is the sight of jockey Ron Turcotte looking backward, with no one in sight, while riding Secretariat in the 1973 Belmont Stakes to win the Triple Crown.

“I can’t very well forget it because every time I go on YouTube it pops up,” Turcotte said last week.

This Saturday’s Kentucky Derby will be the 50th anniversary of the start of Secretariat’s Triple Crown run, a feat many thought at the time could no longer be accomplished.

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THIS DATE IN SPORTS

1891 — Legendary pitcher Cy Young wins first game played at Cleveland’s League Park.

1920 — Legendary slugger Babe Ruth records his first HR for the New York Yankees.

1920 — Joe Oeschger of the Boston Braves and Leon Cadore of the Brooklyn Dodgers both pitch 26 innings in a 1-1 tie, the longest game in major league history.

1926 — Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Satchel Paige (19) debuts in the Negro Southern League.

1943 — Count Fleet, ridden by Johnny Longden, wins the Kentucky Derby by three lengths over Blue Swords.

1948 — Citation, ridden by Eddie Arcaro, wins the Kentucky Derby by 3½ lengths over Coaltown. It’s Citation’s toughest race in winning the Triple Crown.

1951 — Future Baseball Hall of Fame slugger Mickey Mantle hits first career home run.

1954 — 80th Kentucky Derby: Raymond York wins aboard Determine, his only Derby success.

1955 — American golfer Babe Didrikson-Zaharias wins the Peach Blossom LPGA Tournament in Spartanburg, South Carolina, her final victory before her death the following year.

1959 — Floyd Patterson scores 11th round KO of Englishman Brian London in Indianapolis; his 4th World Heavyweight Boxing title defence.

1965 — The Montreal Canadiens beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-0 in Game 7 to capture the Stanley Cup.

1965 — 91st Kentucky Derby: Bill Shoemaker wins aboard Lucky Debonair, the third of his 4 Derby victories.

1969 — Leonard Tose buys NFL Philadelphia Eagles for a pro sports record $16.15m.

1976 — 102nd Kentucky Derby: Puerto Rican jockey Ángel Cordero Jr. wins aboard Bold Forbes, the second of 3 Derby successes.

1981 — Tennis player Billie Jean King acknowledges a lesbian relationship with Marilyn Barnett - becoming first prominent sportswoman to come out.

1982 — Gato del Sol, ridden by Ed Delahoussaye, comes from last place in a field of 19 to win the Kentucky Derby. Gato del Sol, finishes 2 1/2 lengths ahead of Laser Light, who beat Reinvested by a neck for second. He finishes in 2:02 2/5 and returns $44.40 for a $2 bet. Air Forbes Won, the 5-2 favorite of the crowd of 141,009, finishes seventh.

1984 — NFL Draft: Nebraska wide receiver Irving Fryar first pick by New England Patriots.

1988 — After scoring 50 points in Game 1, NBA Eastern Conference playoff series, Michael Jordan has 55 in Chicago Bulls 106-101 win vs Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 2; first to score 50+ points in consecutive playoff games.

1991 — Nolan Ryan pitches his seventh no-hitter in a 3-0 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. Ryan faces 29 batters, striking out 16 and walking two.

1991 — Rickey Henderson of the Oakland Athletics sets a major league record by stealing his 939th base, eclipsing Lou Brock’s career mark.

1992 — The Pittsburgh Penguins become the 11th NHL team to rebound from a 3-1 deficit and win a playoff series after beating the Washington Capitals 3-1.

1992 — Rickey Henderson, baseball’s career stolen base leader, steals his 1,000th base in the first inning of Oakland’s 7-6 win over Detroit.

1993 — Bruce Baumgartner wins his 11th straight national wrestling title by beating Joel Greenlee 6-0 in the 286-pound freestyle division at the U.S. championships in Las Vegas.

2002 — Padres closer Trevor Hoffman sets MLB record for saves for one team (321) in 4-3 win over Chicago Cubs in San Diego.

2003 — The three-time defending champion Lakers beat Minnesota 101-85 to win the series 4-2. It’s the 13th straight playoff series won under Phil Jackson, and Jackson-coached teams have an NBA-record 25 consecutive series wins.

2004 — Smarty Jones splashes his way past Lion Heart in the stretch to win the Kentucky Derby. Smarty Jones runs his record to 7 for 7 and becomes the first unbeaten Derby winner since Seattle Slew in 1977.

2005 — 17-year old Lionel Messi scores his 1st senior league goal for FC Barcelona in 2-0 win against Albacete Balompié, at the Spotify Camp Nou in Barcelona.

2006 — Detroit, winner of the President’s Trophy by leading the league in points (124) this season, is eliminated in the first round for the third time in five postseasons after a 4-3 loss to Edmonton in Game 6.

2008 — Johan Franzen records his second hat trick in three games with three more goals and helps Detroit complete a four-game sweep of Colorado. He is the first player with two hat tricks in one playoff series since Jari Kurri did it for Edmonton in 1985.

2010 — Jockey Calvin Borel steers Super Saver through the mud to win his third Kentucky Derby in four years, beating Lookin At Lucky by 2 1/2 lengths. The win ends trainer Todd Pletcher’s Derby drought. Pletcher, who had four horses in the race, came into the race 0 for 24 since 2000.

2019 — Argentine forward Lionel Messi scores twice for his 600th goal for FC Barcelona in a 3-0 home win over Liverpool in a Champions League semifinal.

2021 — 147th Kentucky Derby: Medina Spirit gives jockey John Velazquez his fourth Derby win and trainer Bob Baffert a record seventh victory in the race.

—Compiled by the Associated Press

And finally...

Nolan Ryan pitches his seventh no-hitter. Watch and listen here. Rickey Henderson sets the career stolen bases record. Watch and listen here.