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From Broderick Turner: He insisted that his group could play better and had to play better even though the Clippers snatched home-court advantage away from the Nuggets by winning Game 2 in Denver.
That didn’t matter to Clippers coach Tyronn Lue.
What mattered to Lue was his team pushing itself to a higher level against the Nuggets.
The Clippers found another gear, fielding a stingy defense and a balanced scoring attack that helped them build a 31-point lead en route to a convincing 117-83 win over the Nuggets on Thursday night. The rowdy crowd celebrated the first playoff game ever hosted at the Intuit Dome.
Six Clippers scored in double figures and that was a big reason they now have a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference first-round playoff series.
“We got to build off it. It’s only two games, but today I liked our approach,” Lue said. “I liked what we did defensively. It’s still going to be a tough series. It ain’t over cause we had a blowout. It’s only one game. So, we got to be ready to come and validate that on Saturday.”
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LAKERS
From Dan Woike: After the Lakers lost the series opener to Minnesota on Saturday, they had only two things they needed to fix. That was the good news.
The bad news? The two things were the defense and the offense.
The Lakers were able to even the series Tuesday night with a mostly dominant defensive performance in which they were able to play as hard and as physical against Minnesota while doing it smarter and more intentionally.
It was an A-plus response on the defensive side.
Yet the reality that’s been hammered home is that the Lakers still haven’t cracked the other half of the code, the offensive side of the ball, where their 94 points Tuesday were enough — but far from optimal.
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NBA PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE, RESULTS
All Times Pacific
First round
Western Conference
No. 3 Lakers vs. No. 6 Minnesota
Minnesota 117, at Lakers 95 (box score)
at Lakers 94, Minnesota 85 (box score)
Friday at Minnesota, 6:30 p.m., ESPN
Sunday at Minnesota, 12:30 p.m., ABC
Wednesday at Lakers, TBD
Friday, May 2 at Minnesota, TBD*
Sunday, May 4 at Lakers, TBD*
No. 4 Denver vs. No. 5 Clippers
at Denver 112, Clippers 110 (OT) (box score)
Clippers 105, at Denver 102 (box score)
at Clippers 117, Denver 83 (box score)
Saturday at Clippers, 3 p.m., TNT
Tuesday at Denver, TBD
Thursday at Clippers, TBD*
Saturday, May 3 at Denver, TBD*
No. 1 Oklahoma City vs. No. 8 Memphis
at Oklahoma City 131, Memphis 80 (box score)
at Oklahoma City 118, Memphis 99 (box score)
Oklahoma City 114, at Memphis 108 (box score)
Saturday at Memphis, 12:30 p.m., TNT
Monday at Oklahoma City, TBD*
Thursday at Memphis, TBD*
Saturday, May 3 at Oklahoma City, TBD*
No. 2 Houston vs. No. 7 Golden State
Golden State 95, at Houston 85 (box score)
at Houston 109, Golden State 94 (box score)
Saturday at Golden State, 5:30 p.m., ABC
Monday at Golden State, 7 p.m., TNT
Wednesday at Houston, TBD
Friday, May 2 at Golden State, TBD*
Sunday, May 4 at Houston, TBD*
Eastern Conference
No. 1 Cleveland vs. No. 8 Miami
at Cleveland 121, Miami 100 (box score)
at Cleveland 121, Miami 112 (box score)
Saturday at Miami, 10 a.m., TNT
Monday at Miami, TBD
Wednesday at Cleveland, TBD*
Friday, May 2 at Miami, TBD*
Sunday, May 4 at Cleveland, TBD*
No. 2 Boston vs. No. 7 Orlando
at Boston 103, Orlando 86 (box score)
at Boston 109, Orlando 100 (box score)
Friday at Orlando, 4 p.m., ESPN
Sunday at Orlando, 4 p.m., TNT
Tuesday at Boston, TBD*
Thursday at Orlando, TBD*
Saturday, May 3 at Boston, TBD*
No. 3 New York vs. No. 6 Detroit
at New York 123, Detroit 112 (box score)
Detroit 100, at New York 94 (box score)
New York 118, at Detroit 116 (box score)
Sunday at Detroit, 10 a.m., ABC
Tuesday at New York, TBD
Thursday at Detroit, TBD*
Saturday, May 3 at New York, TBD*
No. 4 Indiana vs. No. 5 Milwaukee
at Indiana 117, Milwaukee 98 (box score)
at Indiana 123, Milwaukee 115 (box score)
Friday at Milwaukee, 5 p.m., ESPNU/NBA TV
Sunday at Milwaukee, 6:30 p.m., TNT
Tuesday at Indiana, TBD*
Friday, May 2 at Milwaukee, TBD*
Sunday, May 4 at Indiana, TBD*
* if necessary
USC BASKETBALL
Alijah Arenas, the Chatsworth High star and crown jewel of USC’s incoming recruiting class, was involved in a serious Cybertruck accident on Thursday morning, a person familiar with the situation who was not authorized to discuss it publicly told The Times.
Arenas was in a Tesla Cybertruck early Thursday morning when the vehicle lost control near the corner of Corbin Avenue and Blythe Street in Reseda. The crash occurred at 4:56 a.m., when the Cybertruck struck a fire hydrant and tree. The 18-year-old driver was pulled from the wreckage and taken to a hospital where he was stable, according to LAPD Officer Rosario Cervantes. A source told The Times that drugs and alcohol were not involved in the crash.
A video of the early-morning, post-crash scene, obtained by TMZ, shows the sheared-off fire hydrant showering the wrecked Cybertruck with water as onlookers worked to rescue the driver. Later in the video, Arenas is seen trying to get up after lying face down in the street in a few inches of water while the hydrant continued to spray. In the background, a person shouts at Arenas repeatedly to “wake up.”
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UCLA BASKETBALL
From Ben Bolch: UCLA’s basketball team might downshift its lineup in an attempt to hasten success.
Eric Dailey Jr. said Wednesday that the plan next season was for him to move to small forward, which would presumably entail Tyler Bilodeau switching to power forward to take Dailey’s vacated spot.
“It’s my natural position,” Dailey said after a name, image and likeness event at the student store on campus. “We kind of played a little small-ball with Tyler at the five last year and with our new recruits coming in, we’ve got more size at the forward and power forward positions.”
The departures of Kobe Johnson and Lazar Stefanovic have created a void that Dailey might fill. But a lineup featuring the 6-foot-8 Dailey at small forward and 6-9 Bilodeau at power forward would need a new center. The Bruins brought in transfer big men Xavier Booker from Michigan State and Steven Jamerson II from San Diego to man the middle after the departures of Aday Mara and William Kyle III.
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RAMS
From Gary Klein: The Rams did not make a pick Thursday night in the first round of the NFL draft, but next year they will have the opportunity to make two.
That math worked just fine for general manager Les Snead and coach Sean McVay.
The Rams traded the 26th pick and a third-round pick to the Atlanta Falcons for a second-round pick and a seventh-round pick this year, and a first-round pick in 2026.
That Snead, conducting his 14th draft, traded the late first-round pick was not a surprise. He almost annually trades back to acquire more draft capital.
But the Falcons’ willingness to include a 2026 first-round pick was an unexpected bonus.
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CHARGERS
From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: The Chargers picked running back Omarion Hampton with the No. 22 overall selection in the 2025 NFL draft on Thursday, adding another weapon to an offense that is hoping to back up its reputation for physicality in Jim Harbaugh’s second season.
Hampton rushed for 1,660 yards and 15 touchdowns for North Carolina last season. He was the second running back picked in the first round Thursday, following Boise State star Ashton Jeanty, who went sixth overall to the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Chargers added former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris in free agency but are thin in the backfield as no one has signed free agent J.K. Dobbins. The running back rushed for a career-best 905 yards for the Chargers last season, his first year back after an Achilles injury.
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NFL draft live updates and analysis: Titans pick Cam Ward at No. 1 overall
Servite achieves rare feat with two alumni selected in first round of NFL draft
ANGELS
Zach Neto hit a tiebreaking home run leading off the eighth inning and the Angels beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-3 on Thursday night to avoid a three-game series sweep.
Neto, who missed the first three weeks of the season recovering from right-shoulder surgery, lined an 81 mph sweeper from Pirates reliever Chase Shugart (1-1) over the wall in left to snap a 3-3 tie and finished with three hits.
Angels closer Kenley Jansen, with a runner taking off from first base, retired Pittsburgh slugger Oneil Cruz on a 119.6-mph line drive to right fielder Mike Trout to end the game. Jansen earned his sixth save of the season and the 453rd of his career.
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NHL PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE, RESULTS
All times Pacific
First round
Western Conference
Pacific 3 Edmonton vs. Pacific 2 Kings
at Kings 6, Edmonton 5 (summary)
at Kings 6, Edmonton 2 (summary)
Friday at Edmonton, 7 p.m., TNT
Sunday at Edmonton, 6:30 p.m., TBS
Tuesday at Kings, TBD*
Thursday at Edmonton, TBD*
Saturday, May 3 at Kings, TBD*
Wild-card 2 St. Louis vs. Central 1 Winnipeg
at Winnipeg 5, St. Louis 3 (summary)
Winnipeg 2, St. Louis 1 (summary)
at St. Louis 7, Winnipeg 2 (summary)
Sunday at St. Louis, 10 a.m., TBS
Wednesday at Winnipeg, TBD
Friday, May 2 at St. Louis, TBD*
Sunday, May 4 at Winnipeg, TBD*
Central 3 Colorado vs. Central 2 Dallas
Colorado 5, at Dallas 1 (summary)
at Dallas 2, Colorado 1 (OT) (summary)
Wednesday at Colorado, 6:30 p.m., ESPN
Saturday at Colorado, 6:30 p.m., TBS
Monday at Dallas, TBD
Thursday at Colorado, TBD*
Saturday, May 3 at Dallas, TBD*
Wild-card 1 Minnesota vs. Pacific 1 Vegas
at Vegas 4, Minnesota 2 (summary)
Minnesota 5, at Vegas 2 (summary)
at Minnesota 5, Vegas 2 (summary)
Saturday at Minnesota, 1 p.m., TBS
Tuesday at Vegas, TBD
Thursday at Minnesota, TBD*
Saturday, May 3 at Vegas, TBD*
Eastern Conference
Wild-card 2 Ottawa vs. Atlantic 1 Toronto
at Toronto 6, Ottawa 2 (summary)
at Toronto 3, Ottawa 2 (summary)
Toronto 3, at Ottawa 2 (OT) (summary)
Saturday at Ottawa, 4 p.m., TBS
Tuesday at Toronto, TBD*
Thursday at Ottawa, TBD*
Saturday, May 3 at Toronto, TBD*
Atlantic 3 Florida vs. Atlantic 2 Tampa Bay
Florida 6, at Tampa Bay 2 (summary)
Florida 2, at Tampa Bay 0 (summary)
Saturday at Florida, 10 a.m., TBS
Monday at Florida, TBD
Wednesday at Tampa Bay, TBD*
Friday, May 2 at Florida, TBD*
Sunday, May 4 at Tampa Bay, TBD*
Wild-card 2 Montreal vs. Metropolitan 1 Washington
at Washington 3, Montreal 2 (OT) (summary)
at Washington 3, Montreal 1 (summary)
Friday at Montreal, 4 p.m., TNT
Sunday at Montreal, 3:30 p.m., TBS
Wednesday at Washington, TBD*
Friday, May 2 at Montreal, TBD*
Sunday, May 4 at Washington, TBD*
Metropolitan 3 New Jersey vs. Metropolitan 2 Carolina
at Carolina 4, New Jersey 1 (summary)
at Carolina 3, New Jersey 1 (summary)
Friday at New Jersey, 5 p.m., TBS
Sunday at New Jersey, 12:30 p.m., TBS
Tuesday at Carolina, TBD*
Friday, May 2 at New Jersey, TBD*
Sunday, May 4 at Carolina, TBD*
* If necessary
THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
1950 — Charles Cooper, an All-American from Duquesne playing with the Harlem Globetrotters, becomes the first Black man to be picked in the NBA draft when he’s taken by the Boston Celtics.
1952 — The Minneapolis Lakers, led by George Mikan’s 22 points, beat the New York Knicks 82-65 to win the NBA title in seven games.
1964 — The Toronto Maple Leafs win their third straight Stanley Cup with a 4-0 victory over the Detroit Red Wings in the seventh game.
1965 — The Boston Celtics score 42 points on a record 21 field goals in the final quarter of Game 5 to post a 129-96 rout of the Lakers and win their seventh consecutive NBA championship.
1974 — The NFL adopts the 15-minute, sudden-death overtime to avoid ties. The league also moves the goal posts to the back of the end zones.
1985 — For 2nd time, Edmonton’s Wayne Gretzky, scores 7 points in a Cup game (3 goals, 4 assists).
1989 — Mario Lemieux ties NHL playoff records with four first-period goals, five overall and eight points as the Pittsburgh Penguins beat Philadelphia 10-7 to take a 3-2 lead in the Patrick Division finals.
1993 — Micheal Williams sets an NBA record for consecutive free throws with 84. He makes 10 straight as the Minnesota Timberwolves beat Utah 113-111. Calvin Murphy held the previous mark of 78 for Houston in 1981.
1993 — Pittsburgh’s NHL-record 14-game playoff winning streak and its overall 21-game unbeaten string are snapped as the New Jersey Devils beat the Penguins 4-1.
1993 — NFL Draft: Washington State quarterback Drew Bledsoe first pick by New England Patriots.
1995 — Major league baseball returns after a 257-day players’ strike as the Dodgers beat the Florida Marlins 8-7.
1997 — Phoenix’s Rex Chapman makes a playoff-record nine 3-pointers en route to career-high 42 points in a 106-101 win at Seattle. Chapman broke the old playoff mark of eight treys set by Dan Majerle of Phoenix against Seattle on June 1, 1993.
2000 — The San Jose Sharks, the Western Conference’s No. 8 seed, eliminate the NHL’s regular-season champions, the St. Louis Blues, with a 3-1 victory in Game 7. The Blues are the second NHL regular-season champion to get knocked out in the first round, joining the 1991 Chicago Blackhawks.
2006 — Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams is suspended for the 2006 season by the NFL for violating the league’s substance abuse policy for the fourth time.
2009 — San Antonio’s Tony Parker matches George Gervin’s franchise playoff record for points in a half, scoring 31 by halftime of the Spurs’ 99-90 loss to Dallas in Game 4 of their series. Parker makes 12 of 17 shots, including two 3-pointers, to help the Spurs take a 55-51 halftime lead. Parker finishes with 43 points.
2009 — NFL Draft: Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford first pick by Detroit Lions.
2010 — Dwyane Wade sets franchise playoff records with 46 points, 30 in the second half, and Miami staves off elimination by beating Boston 101-92 in Game 4 of an Eastern Conference first-round series.
2013 — Miami’s Ray Allen scores 23 points and breaks the NBA career playoff record for 3-pointers, and the Heat beat the Milwaukee Bucks 104-91 for a 3-0 lead in their first-round series. Allen’s five 3-pointers against the Bucks gives him 322 for his career, two more than Reggie Miller.
2013 — NFL Draft: Central Michigan offensive tackle Eric Fisher first pick by Kansas City Chiefs.
2014 — In a historic vote, Northwestern University football players casts secret ballots on whether to form the nation’s first union for college athletes — a decision that could change the landscape of American amateur sports.
2015 — Ukraine’s Wladimir Klitschko easily outpoints a game-but-outclassed Bryant Jennings in the champion’s first fight in the United States in seven years, defending his heavyweight titles with a unanimous decision at Madison Square Garden in New York.
2017 — In a swift response to increasing debates over television reviews, golf’s ruling bodies issue a new decision on the Rules of Golf that limits the use of video evidence and could spare players from being penalized even if they violated a rule. The decision issued — and effective immediately on all tours around the world — has two standards. Players can avoid a penalty if the violation could not be noticed with the naked eye. Rules officials also can eliminate penalties if they feel players made a “reasonable judgment” in taking a drop or replacing their golf balls on the putting green.
2017 — Trea Turner hits for the cycle and drives in a career-high seven runs, helping Washington to a 15-12 win over Colorado.
2019 — NFL Draft: Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray #1 pick by Arizona Cardinals.
Compiled by the Associated Press
Until next time…
That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com, and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
