The Sports Report: Lakers’ season comes to a mediocre end

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

From Bill Plaschke: Sigh, scream, here we go again, same Lakers ending, same Lakers failure, same two tiresome words.

What now?

For the 13th time in 14 seasons, the Lakers have fallen far short in their bid to pile on another NBA championship, and, man, is this getting old.

The latest quest ended Monday night with a 108-106 loss to the Denver Nuggets that cemented a four-games-to-one, first-round series defeat while resurrecting another version of the same old query.

What next?

What can the Lakers do to change this sorry narrative?

The answer, frustratingly, is the same as it has been for the five years that the team has been run by the giant talents — and contracts — of LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

The answer is nothing.

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Lakers eliminated by Nuggets in Game 5 on Jamal Murray’s final shot

Lakers box score

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CLIPPERS

From Broderick Turner: Tyronn Lue gathered his team in the huddle during a timeout with 2 minutes and 14 seconds left Sunday in Game 4 and looked them in the eyes with a firmness after the Clippers’ 31-point lead had evaporated down to one.

Lue was the calm Clippers coach at a time when the Dallas Mavericks had overwhelmed his team and changed the momentum of the game.

Lue was resolute in the middle of a Mavericks offensive storm in which Kyrie Irving was virtually unstoppable.

Lue was steadfast in his belief in the Clippers during the game’s most tense moment even with their best player, Kawhi Leonard, sidelined because of inflammation in his right knee.

Lue crossed his arms after his team took the court, looked at the media while the fans inside American Airlines Center were delirious, smiled and mouthed:

“We’ll be good. We’ll be good.”

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NBA PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE

All times Pacific

FIRST ROUND
Western Conference

No. 1 Oklahoma City vs. No. 8 New Orleans
at Oklahoma City 94, New Orleans 92 (box score)
at Oklahoma City 124, New Orleans 92 (box score)
Oklahoma City 106, at New Orleans 85 (box score)
Oklahoma City 97, at New Orleans 89 (box score)

No. 2 Denver vs. No. 7 Lakers
at Denver 114, Lakers 103 (box score)
at Denver 101, Lakers 99 (box score)
Denver 112, at Lakers 105 (box score)
at Lakers 119, Denver 108 (box score)
at Denver 108, Lakers 106 (box score)

No. 3 Minnesota vs. No. 6 Phoenix
at Minnesota 120, Phoenix 95 (box score)
at Minnesota 105, Phoenix 93 (box score)
Minnesota 126, at Phoenix 109 (box score)
Minnesota 122, at Phoenix 116 (box score)

No. 4 Clippers vs. No. 5 Dallas
at Clippers 109, Dallas 97 (box score)
Dallas 96, at Clippers 93 (box score)
at Dallas 101, Clippers 90 (box score)
Clippers 116, at Dallas 111 (box score)
Wednesday at Clippers, 7 p.m., TNT
Friday at Dallas, TBD
*Sunday at Clippers, TBD

Eastern Conference

No. 1 Boston vs. No. 8 Miami
at Boston 114, Miami 94 (box score)
Miami 111, at Boston 101 (box score)
Boston 104, at Miami 84 (box score)
Boston 102, at Miami 88 (box score)
Wednesday at Boston, 4:30 p.m., TNT
*Friday at Miami, TBD
*Sunday at Boston, TBD

No. 2 New York vs. No. 7 Philadelphia
at New York 111, Philadelphia 104 (box score)
at New York 104, Philadelphia 101 (box score)
at Philadelphia 125, New York 114 (box score)
New York 97, at Philadelphia 92 (box score)
Tuesday at New York, 4 p.m., TNT
*Thursday at Philadelphia, TBD
*Saturday at New York, TBD

No. 3 Milwaukee vs. No. 6 Indiana
at Milwaukee 109, Indiana 94 (box score)
Indiana 125, Milwaukee 108 (box score)
at Indiana 121, Milwaukee 118 (OT) (box score)
at Indiana 126, Milwaukee 113 (box score)
Tuesday at Milwaukee, 6:30 p.m., TNT
*Thursday at Indiana, TBD
*Saturday at Milwaukee, TBD

No. 4 Cleveland vs. No. 5 Orlando
at Cleveland 97, Orlando 83 (box score)
at Cleveland 96, Orlando 86 (box score)
at Orlando 121, Cleveland 83 (box score)
at Orlando 112, Cleveland 89 (box score)
Tuesday at Cleveland, 5 p.m., NBA TV
Friday at Orlando, TBD
*Sunday at Cleveland, TBD

*-if necessary

DODGERS

From Jack Harris: The Dodgers sent 44 batters to the plate Monday night.

They struck out a grand total of zero times.

In an 8-4 win that featured 10 hits, eight walks and the Dodgers’ seventh victory in their last eight games, the most important number was zero.

As in the club’s first game of zero strikeouts since August 2006.

In what just the fifth such game by any MLB club since 2017 (the other four all occurred last year), the Dodgers instead heeded manager Dave Roberts’ signature advice to “move the ball forward” — jumping out to 6-1 lead before hanging on late for a series-opening win at Chase Field.

Shohei Ohtani and Teoscar Hernández led the way with two hits apiece. Andy Pages tacked on three RBIs. And despite a sloppy five-inning, four-run, five-hit start from James Paxton, the team’s bullpen silenced the Diamondbacks’ scuffling lineup, securing a win in the first meeting between the clubs since the Dodgers were swept in last year’s National League Division Series.

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How Freddie Freeman — now back on a hitting streak — worked through early-season slump

Shaikin: Risk and reward: This ex-Dodger used to throw 91 mph. Now he throws 97

Dodgers box score

MLB scores

MLB standings

ANGELS

Ehire Adrianza and Mike Trout scored on a wild pitch and throwing error in the seventh inning as the Angels rallied from an early three-run deficit to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-5 Monday night and snap a four-game losing streak.

Adrianza had two hits and drove in a run, and Jo Adell homered as the Angels won on manager Ron Washington’s 72nd birthday.

Alec Bohm extended his hitting streak to 13 games and drove in three runs for the Phillies, who snapped their five-game winning streak.

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Angels box score

MLB scores

MLB standings

BASEBALL

From Bill Shaikin: The Oakland Athletics have taken another significant step toward Nevada, retaining a major player in sports finance to broker a deal intended to provide team owner John Fisher with $500 million toward a new ballpark on the Las Vegas Strip.

Nevada legislators last June approved $380 million in public funding toward the estimated $1.5-billion cost of the ballpark, with the A’s responsible for the balance, but access to the public money requires disclosure of a financing plan for the balance of the cost.

The A’s have hired Galatioto Sports Partners to attract an investor — or several — to put in that $500 million, in exchange for a share of ownership, according to people familiar with the matter not authorized to speak publicly about it.

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From Steve Henson: The concept is curious. Turn 347 International House of Pancakes locations nationwide into ghost kitchens that produce ballpark-themed fast food for delivery and pickup.

Ballpark Bites outlets have sprung up seemingly overnight, 44 in California alone, second only to the 76 in Texas. Maybe that’s how ghost kitchens roll.

Major League Baseball is sponsoring the venture, which mirrors the NASCAR Refuel Tenders & Burgers initiative that also utilizes IHOP kitchens — although regrettably neither menu offers the Rooty Tooty Fresh ‘N Fruity. Already, 524 NASCAR Refuel are in place, and the company motto is (of course) “We’re growing FAST!!!”

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USC BASKETBALL

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: In the middle of her official visit to USC last Friday, Talia von Oelhoffen posted on TikTok. In the video, the two-time All-Pac-12 guard from Oregon State was dancing next to another coveted Pac-12 transfer, Stanford’s Kiki Iriafen, while both wore USC jerseys. “What we thinkin????” her caption read at the time.

Now, both top transfers are officially on their way to play at USC, and the only question remaining is whether anyone in women’s college basketball will be able to stop the budding super team Lindsay Gottlieb is building.

Von Oelhoffen made her commitment to USC official on Monday morning, joining Iriafen and a stacked roster that already included superstar JuJu Watkins and senior Rayah Marshall, as well as the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation.

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CHARGERS

From Jeff Miller: For someone who once thought he’d never coach, Nick Hardwick found himself in the strangest of places:

Sitting in an Indiana high school, as midnight approached, breaking down film.

“I was getting four hours of sleep a night,” he recalled Monday, “and I was like, ‘Well, if I’m doing this for free and actually donating money, why would I not do this at another level, one that I’m more familiar with?’ ”

That’s part of what led Hardwick back home, to the Chargers, the former Pro Bowl center now an offensive line assistant.

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WORLD CUP

The U.S. Soccer Federation and its Mexican counterpart dropped their joint bid to host the 2027 Women’s World Cup on Monday and said they instead will focus on trying to host the 2031 tournament.

The decision left a proposal from Brazil and a joint Germany-Netherlands-Belgium plan competing to be picked for 2027 by the FIFA Congress that meets May 17 in Bangkok.

The USSF said the 2031 bid would call for FIFA to invest equally in the men’s and women’s World Cups.

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KINGS

From Kevin Baxter: You don’t have to know anything about hockey to know the Kings are in trouble heading back to Edmonton for Game 5 of their first-round Western Conference playoff series with the Oilers.

Just knowing how to count is knowledge enough.

After Sunday’s 1-0 loss at Crypto.com Arena, the Kings trail the best-of-seven series 3-1. That makes Wednesday’s game a must-win for the Kings. So is anything that comes after that.

“Yeah, our backs are against the wall,” center Phillip Danault said. “Nothing to lose. One game at a time. Pressure’s on them. Give everything you’ve got.”

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NHL PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE

First round
All times Pacific

Western Conference

C1 Dallas vs. WC2 Vegas
Vegas 4, at Dallas 3 (box score)
Vegas 3, at Dallas 1 (box score)
Dallas 3, at Vegas 2 (OT) (box score)
Dallas 4, at Vegas 2 (box score)
Wednesday at Dallas, 4:30 p.m., ESPN
*Friday at Vegas, TBD
*Sunday at Dallas, TBD

C2 Winnipeg vs. C3 Colorado
at Winnipeg 7, Colorado 6 (box score)
Colorado 5, at Winnipeg 2 (box score)
at Colorado 6, Winnipeg 2 (box score)
at Colorado 5, Winnipeg 1 (box score)
Tuesday at Winnipeg, 6:30 p.m., ESPN
*Thursday at Colorado, TBD
*Saturday at Winnipeg, TBD

P1 Vancouver vs. WC1 Nashville
at Vancouver 4, Nashville 2 (box score)
Nashville 4, at Vancouver 1 (box score)
Vancouver 2, at Nashville 1 (box score)
Vancouver 4, at Nashville 3 (OT) (box score)
Tuesday at Vancouver, 7 p.m., TBS
*Friday at Nashville, TBD
*Sunday at Vancouver, TBD

P2 Edmonton vs. P3 Kings
at Edmonton 7, Kings 4 (box score)
Kings 5, at Edmonton 4 (OT) (box score)
Edmonton 6, at Kings 1 (box score)
Edmonton 1, at Kings 0 (box score)
Wednesday at Edmonton, 7 p.m., ESPN
*Friday at Kings, TBD
*Sunday at Edmonton, TBD

Eastern Conference

A1 Florida vs. WC1 Tampa Bay
at Florida 3, Tampa Bay 2 (box score)
at Florida 3, Tampa Bay 2 (OT) (box score)
Florida 5, at Tampa Bay 3 (box score)
at Tampa Bay 6, Florida 3 (box score)
at Florida 6, Tampa Bay 1 (box score)

A2 Boston vs. A3 Toronto
at Boston 5, Toronto 1 (box score)
Toronto 3, at Boston 2 (box score)
Boston 4, at Toronto 2 (box score)
Boston 3, at Toronto 1 (box score)
Tuesday at Boston, 4 p.m., ESPN
Thursday at Toronto, TBD
*Saturday at Boston, TBD

M1 New York Rangers vs. WC2 Washington
at New York 4, Washington 1 (box score)
at New York 4, Washington 3 (box score)
New York 3, at Washington 1 (box score)
New York 4, at Washington 2 (box score)

M2 Carolina vs. M3 New York Islanders
at Carolina 3, New York 1 (box score)
at Carolina 5, New York 3 (box score)
Carolina 3, at New York 2 (box score)
at New York 3, Carolina 2 (2 OT) (box score)
Tuesday at Carolina, 4:30 p.m., TBS
*Thursday at New York, TBD
*Saturday at Carolina, TBD

*-if necessary

THIS DATE IN SPORTS

1922 — Charlie Robertson of the Chicago White Sox pitches a 2-0 perfect game against the Detroit Tigers.

1939 — Lou Gehrig plays his 2,130th consecutive and final game for the New York Yankees.

1958 — Ted Williams is 10th major league player to get 1,000 extra-base hits.

1961 — Willie Mays of the San Francisco Giants hits four home runs in a 14-4 victory over the Braves in Milwaukee.

1961 — LPGA Titleholders Championship Women’s Golf, Augusta CC: Mickey Wright wins her 5th major title by 1 stroke from Patty Berg & Louise Suggs.

1962 — LPGA Titleholders Championship Women’s Golf, Augusta CC: Mickey Wright wins her 8th major title in a playoff with Ruth Jessen.

1971 — The Milwaukee Bucks become the second team to register a four-game sweep in the NBA championship, beating the Baltimore Bullets 118-106.

1975 — Larry O’Brien is named the NBA’s third commissioner, after J. Walter Kennedy (1963-75) and Maurice Podoloff (1946-63). O’Brien holds the position until 1984.

1976 — Muhammad Ali wins a unanimous 15-round decision over Jimmy Young in Landover, Md., to retain his world heavyweight title.

1985 — NFL Draft: Virginia Tech defensive end Bruce Smith first pick by Buffalo Bills.

1987 — NY Islander Mike Bossy plays his final game.

1989 — U.S. beats Costa Rica 1-0, in 3rd round of 1990 world soccer cup.

1993 — Top-ranked Monica Seles is stabbed during a changeover in Hamburg, Germany. Guenter Parche, 38, reaches over a courtside railing and knifes Seles in the back. She has an inch-deep slit between her shoulder blades and missed the remainder of the 1993 season.

2005 — James Toney outpoints John Ruiz to win the WBA heavyweight title in New York. Toney, a former champion at three other weights, wins his third heavyweight bout, becoming the third one-time middleweight champion to take boxing’s top crown.

2010 — Tiger Woods matches the worst nine-hole score of his PGA Tour career and winds up with a 7-over 79 to miss the cut at the Quail Hollow Championship. Woods finishes at 9-over 153, the highest 36-hole total of his career. It’s the sixth time in his 14-year career he misses a cut.

2014 — Anze Kopitar scores the tiebreaking goal late in the second period and Jonathan Quick makes 39 saves to cap the Kings’ comeback from three games down with a 5-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks in Game 7 of the first round. This is the fourth time an NHL team won a best-of-seven series after losing the first three games.

2015 — For the first time in 51 years, the NFL draft returns to Chicago. Florida State’s Jameis Winston is selected by Tampa Bay as the first selection.

Compiled by the Associated Press