The Sports Report: Early mistakes cost Lakers in Game 1 loss

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

From Dan Woike: Throughout this postseason, rookie coach Darvin Ham and his Lakers staff have made the right choice at the right moment, finding the right game-plan tweak, the right rotation change, the right shift at the right moment.

They did with the way the Lakers defended Memphis in the first round. They did it with the way the Lakers chased Stephen Curry and quieted Klay Thompson against Golden State, and by plugging Lonnie Walker IV into the rotation in Game 4 and starting Dennis Schroder in Game 6 to dethrone the defending champions.

The moment never seemed too big, the Lakers’ Xs and O’s getting A’s.

Ahead of Game 1 of the Western Conference finals at Denver, Ham faced another choice — stick with Schroder in the starting lineup, return to Jarred Vanderbilt or find some magic elsewhere.

Ham and the Lakers landed on Schroder. And, in the most glaring way so far this postseason, they were wrong.

They had their reasons — the smaller three-guard lineup helped the Lakers close out the Warriors last week. Tuesday, though, it flopped. They couldn’t do enough early, either too small or too slow — and usually, a combination of both.

The Lakers would adjust. They’d go bigger. They’d play harder. They’d get closer. But never close enough.

The Nuggets and Nikola Jokic were too big, too tough on the glass for the first five on the court, immediately controlling the game en route to a 132-126 win thanks to a start that created a mountain too steep for the Lakers to completely climb.

“Some of them was effort,” LeBron James said of the plays that swung the momentum. “And some of them is about size.”

Jokic finished with 34 points, 21 rebounds and 14 assists, his sixth triple-double of the postseason. Anthony Davis scored 40, James had 26 and Austin Reaves added 23, but it wasn’t quite enough to bring the Lakers back from the double-digit deficit they faced for most of the night.

Continue reading here

Lakers might have figured out a formula to defend Denver’s Nikola Jokic

Photos: Lakers fall to Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets in Game 1

San Antonio Spurs win the NBA draft lottery, right to select Victor Wembanyama

76ers fire coach Doc Rivers after another second-round exit from playoffs

NBA PLAYOFFS
Results, schedule
All times Pacific
Conference finals

Western Conference

No. 1 Denver vs. No. 7 Lakers
Game 1: at Denver 132, Lakers 126
Thursday at Denver, 5:30 p.m., ESPN
Saturday at Lakers, 5:30 p.m., ABC
Monday at Lakers, 5:30 p.m., ESPN
*Wed., May 24 at Denver, 5:30 p.m., ESPN
*Friday, May 26 at Lakers, 5:30 p.m., ESPN
*Sunday, May 28 at Denver, 5:30 p.m., ESPN

Eastern Conference

No. 2 Boston vs. No. 8 Miami
Today at Boston, 5:30 p.m., TNT
Friday at Boston, 5:30 p.m., TNT
Sunday at Miami, 5:30 p.m., TNT
Tuesday at Miami, 5:30 p.m., TNT
*Thursday, May 25 at Boston, 5:30 p.m., TNT
*Saturday, May 27 at Miami, 5:30 p.m., TNT
*Monday, May 29 at Boston, 5:30 p.m., TNT

*-if necessary

NHL PLAYOFFS

Results, schedule
All times Pacific
Conference finals

Western Conference

Vegas (P1) vs. Dallas Stars (C2)
Friday at Vegas, 5:30 p.m., ESPN
Sunday at Vegas, noon, ABC
Tuesday, May 23 at Dallas, 5 p.m., ESPN
Thursday, May 25 at Dallas, 5 p.m., ESPN
*Saturday, May 27 at Vegas, 5 p.m., ABC
*Monday, May 29 at Dallas, 5 p.m., ESPN
*Wed., May 31 at Vegas, 6 p.m., ESPN

Eastern Conference

Carolina (M1) vs. Florida (WC2)
Thursday at Carolina, 5 p.m., TNT
Saturday at Carolina, 5 p.m., TNT
Monday at Florida, 5 p.m., TNT
Wed., May 24 at Florida, 5 p.m., TNT
*Friday, May 26 at Carolina, 5 p.m., TNT
*Sunday, May 28 at Florida, 5 p.m., TNT
*Tuesday, May 30 at Carolina, 5 p.m., TNT

*-if necessary

DODGERS

From Mike DiGiovanna: A month after notching his 200th career victory on an exhilarating April night in Chavez Ravine, Clayton Kershaw took the mound on his home field under a different set of emotional circumstances on Tuesday night — it was just three days after the death of his mother, Marianne Tombaugh.

“I think once you get out there and you get into compete mode, that’s just what you know,” manager Dave Roberts said before the game. “Obviously, he’s never been in this situation before, but I expect it to go well and for him to do what he’s supposed to do.”

Kershaw fell short on both counts in a 5-1 loss to the Minnesota Twins before a sellout crowd of 52,159, grinding through a wobbly four-inning, two-run, seven-hit, 90-pitch start in which he failed to provide much relief for a bullpen that had to cover eight innings in Monday night’s 12-inning victory.

Continue reading here

Walker Buehler aims to be back by September. Dave Roberts isn’t so sure

‘It’s hard to hit.’ How Dodgers rookie James Outman is dealing with an inevitable slump

Dodger Stadium food guide: Twelve new items to tantalize your taste buds

A gondola to Dodger Stadium? ‘Repulsive,’ ‘something doesn’t add up,’ readers say

ANGELS

Ryan Mountcastle entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the fourth inning and doubled, then he hit a two-run homer in the sixth to help the Orioles beat the Angels 7-3.

UCLA FOOTBALL/BASEBALL

From Sarah Valenzuela: JonJon Vaughns stood behind his UCLA baseball teammates, who were perched along the dugout fence, watching those ahead of him in the batting order.

It was an early-season Pac-12 game against Arizona and the 21-year-old junior — a two-sport athlete who also plays on the Bruins football team — got into his batting stance. As the Wildcats pitcher threw, Vaughns mimed his swing. It was a routine he repeated through the game when he was not in the batter’s box himself.

“JonJon is a very consistent, competitive guy,” UCLA baseball coach John Savage said. “It’s just his competitive nature. He’s gonna fight you. I think it’s a kind of football mentality.”

This comes on the heels of a football season in which Vaughns, as a 6-foot-2, 220-pound linebacker, played in all 13 games, starting the last 11, for a Bruins team that went 9-4 and reached a bowl game for the first time since 2017.

Continue reading here

SPARKS

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: She was on her feet and walking 10 minutes after giving birth to her second child. So, Dearica Hamby has no problem moving on quickly after this latest hurdle in life.

The WNBA suspended Aces coach Becky Hammon on Tuesday for two games without pay for comments she allegedly made to Hamby about her pregnancy that violated league and team respect in the workplace policies. A months-long investigation stemming from Hamby’s allegations of bullying and discrimination also resulted in the Aces losing their 2025 first-round draft pick because of impermissible player benefits connected to a contract extension Hamby signed in 2022.

Hamby knew about the punishments Monday, one day after she made her on-court debut as a mother of two in the Sparks’ preseason scrimmage on Mother’s Day. With the Sparks’ season opener set for Friday, the two-time All-Star was relieved to close this chapter.

“I kind of want to move forward and focus on where I am today,” Hamby said Tuesday after Sparks practice. “I’m healthy, I’m happy, my son is healthy and I’m going to be playing basketball this season. So just want to focus on moving forward. This part of it is over and me and the union will continue to explore my options.”

Continue reading here

SOCCER

From Kevin Baxter: The World Cup is coming to the U.S. in a little more than three years. How much of the world will come to watch it, however, remains an open question.

That’s because the unchecked rise in mass shootings in this country has led numerous governments — most of them close allies — to warn their citizens about traveling to the U.S. Not just for the World Cup, but for any reason.

Canada, which will join the U.S. and Mexico in playing host to the tournament, the largest in history with 48 teams and 104 matches, advises those traveling to the U.S. to “familiarize yourself with how to respond to an active shooter situation.” The United Kingdom and Japan have issued similar warnings.

New Zealand has told its people that the U.S. has “domestic-based extremists” while the German government says “it is easy to obtain guns” in the U.S., which has led to “occasional killing sprees.”

Continue reading here

————

From Kevin Baxter: LAFC was 45 minutes away from kicking off its fourth game of the MLS regular season when Denis Bouanga, the team’s leading scorer, walked into the dressing room.

“We were shocked,” teammate Kellyn Acosta remembered.

Not because Bouanga was late, but because he was there at all.

Twenty-four hours earlier, he had boarded a flight in Gabon, the first leg of a daylong return from international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying tournament. LAFC didn’t expect him back for at least another day.

Instead, Bouanga rushed over from the airport, entered the game midway through the second half and scored the winning goal in a 2-1 victory over FC Dallas.

“He told me beforehand that that was his plan. And I was like, ‘You’re crazy,’ ” Acosta said. “I mean, it’s not like a three-hour trip.

Continue reading here

TRACK AND FIELD

From Andrew Greif: When plans for the Los Angeles Grand Prix were announced, it promised competitions featuring some of track and field’s biggest names. That star power took a hit Tuesday when Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone said she would no longer compete at the May 27 meet at UCLA, citing the decision of her coach, Bobby Kersee.

Kersee, the iconic sprints coach who is serving as a co-organizer of the Grand Prix, did not respond to messages seeking comment.

“Regrettably, I won’t be competing in the LA Grand Prix due to my coach’s decision,” McLaughlin-Levrone said in a statement issued through her agent. “I trust his judgment and will be cheering on my fellow athletes. Excited to see my fans! Thanks for your support.”

Continue reading here

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.

1959 — Sam Snead sets PGA record for 36 holes at 122.

1969 — Baltimore, Cleveland & Pittsburgh agree to go from NFC to AFC in NFL.

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

1974 — 18th European Cup: Bayern Munich beats Atletico Madrid 4-0 at Brussels.

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.

1998 — LPGA Championship Women’s Golf, DuPont CC: 20-year-old rookie Se Ri Pak leads wire-to-wire to win the first of her 5 majors, 3 strokes ahead of runners-up Donna Andrews and Lisa Hackney.

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.

2003 — English FA Cup Final, Millennium Stadium, Cardiff (73,726): Arsenal beats Southampton, 1-0; Robert Pires scores 38′ winner for Gunners’ 9th title.

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.

2008 — English FA Cup Final, Wembley Stadium, London (82,752): Portsmouth beats Cardiff City, 1-0; Nwankwo Kanu scores 37′ winner.

2012 — Hall of Famer Johnny Petraglia becomes the first player in Professional Bowlers Association 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.

2018 — Michigan State University will pay $500 million in claims to 300 survivors of sexual abuse involving Larry Nassar. Largest sexual abuse case in sports history.

2019 — Brooks Koepka fires a 65 (-5) to set new record for lowest 36-hole score in a golf major at the PGA Championship at Bethpage State Park; 7 stroke lead is a 36-hole tournament record.

2020 — Michael Jordan’s autographed Air Nike 1s trainers from 1985 sell for a record $560,000 in an online auction.

—Compiled by the Associated Press

And finally...

David Wells pitches a perfect game. Watch and listen here. The Phillies beat the Cubs, 23-22. Watch and listen here.