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From Andrew Greif: Heads down, walking past fans in free orange T-shirts, the Clippers retreated to their locker room underneath Footprint Center’s stands knowing precisely where their season ended.
Then they boarded a short flight to Los Angeles to begin a long offseason. It will be reserved for pinpointing how, exactly, this season’s championship aspirations went awry long before Tuesday’s final game.
With Kawhi Leonard and Paul George healthy, the Clippers began this season with hopes of establishing a franchise “first” – advancing to its first Finals, and claiming its first championship. But with sprained right knees sidelining George the entire postseason and Leonard the last three games of this series, the Clippers could not advance past even the first round, losing in Game 5 to the Suns 136-130.
The Clippers’ resolve was unquestioned – but so were their limitations while unable to ultimately match Phoenix’s combination of star power and shot-making.
It was not always evident Tuesday would mark the end. The Clippers led by nine at halftime, dulling the energy of a crowd anticipating a celebration for advancing to the second round. But during the final 8 minutes, 8 seconds of the third quarter the Suns made 14 of their next 19 shots in a stunning display of offensive efficiency while the Clippers shot 4-for-15, an eight-minute run that saw the Clippers outscored by 24.
Phoenix became only the fourth team in NBA history to score 50 points in a playoff quarter. Put another way: Suns guard Devin Booker outscored the Clippers all by himself in the quarter, 25-24.
Trailing by as many as 20 points in the fourth quarter, the Clippers fought instead of folding. They found their defense and made six three-pointers on looks they’d clanked in the first three quarters, pulling within 132-130 with only 70 seconds remaining.
It was their gutsiest effort of the season – and it was undone, for a final time, but the kind of live-ball turnovers that had haunted them throughout the postseason, that saw double-digit leads evaporate in previous games, and with them, a chance to steal a series.
Tyronn Lue’s advice keeps Ish Wainright pushing to stay in the NBA
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LAKERS
From Bill Plaschke: Ignore the talk about the Lakers belonging to Anthony Davis, or being inspired by Austin Reaves, or riding Rui Hachimura.
Listen, instead, to a wordless scream directed into the face of courtside fans.
Hear the loud, sweaty smack of a fighting rebound torn from the arms of a Memphis Grizzly.
Feel the relentless elbowing rush to the basket in the throes of game-saving desperation.
C’mon, whom are we kidding here?
As all the above scenes illustrated on a night when greatness showed up dressed in grind and grit, the Lakers are LeBron James’ team, period.
NBA PLAYOFFS
Results, schedule
All times Pacific
Western Conference
No. 2 Memphis vs. No. 7 Lakers
Game 1: Lakers 128, at Memphis 112
Game 2: at Memphis 103, Lakers 93
Game 3: at Lakers 111, Memphis 101
Game 4: at Lakers 117, Memphis 111 (OT)
Today at Memphis, 4:30 p.m., TNT
*Friday at Lakers, TBD
*Sunday at Memphis, TBD
No. 4 Phoenix vs. No. 5 Clippers
Game 1: Clippers 115, at Phoenix 110
Game 2: at Phoenix 123, Clippers 109
Game 3: Phoenix 129, at Clippers 124
Game 4: Phoenix 112, at Clippers 100
Game 5: at Phoenix 136, Clippers 130
No. 1 Denver vs. No. 8 Minnesota
Game 1: at Denver 109, Minnesota 80
Game 2: at Denver 122, Minnesota 113
Game 3: Denver 120, at Minnesota 111
Game 4: at Minnesota 114, Denver 108
Game 5: at Denver 112, Minnesota 109
No. 3 Sacramento vs. No. 6 Golden State
Game 1: at Sacramento 126, Golden State 123
Game 2: at Sacramento 114, Golden State 106
Game 3: at Golden State 114, Sacramento 97
Game 4: at Golden State 126, Sacramento 125
Tonight at Sacramento, 7 p.m., TNT
Friday at Golden State, TBD
*Sunday at Sacramento, TBD
Eastern Conference
No. 1 Milwaukee vs. No. 8 Miami
Game 1: Miami 130, at Milwaukee 117
Game 2: at Milwaukee 138, Miami 122
Game 3: at Miami 121, Milwaukee 99
Game 4: at Miami 119, Milwaukee 114
Tonight at Milwaukee, 6:30 p.m., NBA TV
*Friday at Miami, TBD
*Sunday at Milwaukee, TBD
No. 2 Boston vs. No. 7 Atlanta
Game 1: at Boston 112, Atlanta 99
Game 2: at Boston 119, Atlanta 106
Game 3: at Atlanta 130, Boston 122
Game 4: Boston 129, at Atlanta 121
Game 5: Atlanta 119, at Boston 117
Thursday at Atlanta, TBD
*Saturday at Boston, TBD
No. 3 Philadelphia vs. No. 6 Brooklyn
Game 1: at Philadelphia 121, Brooklyn 101
Game 2: at Philadelphia 96, Brooklyn 84
Game 3: Philadelphia 102, at Brooklyn 97
Game 4: Philadelphia 96, at Brooklyn, 88
No. 4 Cleveland vs. No. 5 New York
Game 1: New York 101, at Cleveland 97
Game 2: at Cleveland 107, New York 90
Game 3: at New York 99, Cleveland 79
Game 4: at New York 102, Cleveland 93
Today at Cleveland, 4 p.m., NBA TV
*Game 6 at New York, TBD
*Game 7 at Cleveland, TBD
*-if necessary
KINGS
From Helene Elliott: If the Kings have any resilience left in their bruised and weary bodies, if they can figure out how to repair the gaping holes the Edmonton Oilers ripped open in their defense during the past two games of their Stanley Cup playoff series, if they want to prolong a promising season, they have three days to find that resilience, those solutions, that fight.
For the second straight game, the Oilers revved up their offense to a level the Kings couldn’t match. The particulars are less important than the undeniable trend: Nick Bjugstad scored twice as the Oilers chased Kings goaltender Joonas Korpisalo to the bench in favor of Pheonix Copley in the second period and roared to a 6-3 victory Tuesday at Rogers Place.
The Kings have until Saturday, when Game 6 will be played at Crypto.com Arena, to reflect, repair and regroup and try to extend their season to a seventh game next Monday in Edmonton.
“That’s obviously not good enough. It wasn’t close to good enough,” Kings coach Todd McLellan said of his team’s defensive effort. “It probably doesn’t get you a win in game 2 of the regular season, so move on.”
Or move out.
The Oilers’ scoring spree–a strong followup to their 5-4 overtime comeback win in Game 4–put the Kings one loss from the end of a season they thought would go long. They upgraded their skill by acquiring Kevin Fiala. They traded franchise legend Jonathan Quick and a first-round pick to acquire Korpisalo and Vladislav Gavrikov, both of whom can leave without compensation this summer. They didn’t make those moves to be eliminated in the first round by the Oilers for a second straight season.
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
Saturday at Kings, TBD
*Monday at Edmonton TBD
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)
Tonight at Colorado, 6:30 p.m., ESPN
Friday at Seattle, 7 p.m., TBD
*Sunday at Colorado, TBD
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
Friday at Minnesota, TBD
*Sunday at Dallas, TBD
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
Thursday at Vegas, 7 p.m., ESPN2
*Saturday at Winnipeg, TBD
*Monday at Vegas, TBD
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
Today at Boston, 4 p.m., ESPN
*Friday at Florida, TBD
*Sunday at Boston, TBD
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)
Thursday at Toronto, 4 p.m., TBS
*Saturday at Tampa Bay, TBD
*Monday at Toronto, TBD
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)
Friday at NY Islanders, TBD
*Sunday at Carolina, TBD
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
Thursday at New Jersey, 4:30 p.m., ESPN
Saturday at NY Rangers, TBD
*Monday at New Jersey, TBD
*-if necessary
DODGERS
From Jack Harris: Pirates left fielder Jack Suwinski drifted to the warning track, felt for the wall and leaped to rob Mookie Betts of a potential go-ahead, three-run homer in the sixth inning Tuesday night.
When Suwinski tried to do the same two innings later, however, Chris Taylor left him empty-handed.
In a back-and-forth contest at PNC Park — the Dodgers scored two runs early, then gave up seven, then rallied against a surging Pittsburgh team that had won seven straight — it was Taylor’s blast in the eighth inning that decided it, a three-run bomb that sailed over Suwinski’s head and lifted the Dodgers to an 8-7 win.
“To go out there and find a way,” manager Dave Roberts said, “very good team win.”
ANGELS
From Sarah Valenzuela: It’s not uncommon for players to keep baseballs from games they’ve played. Pitchers keep the one that represents their first strikeout, batters keep the ones representing their first hits. Left fielder Taylor Ward took home another kind of milestone baseball this week.
Ward kept the ball he robbed Shane Langeliers and Oakland Athletics of a would be grand slam on on Monday night. The baseball was still in his locker Tuesday, the Angels’ second game of the series.
As the leadoff batter in Tuesday’s game, Ward went two for four with an RBI, joining Brandon Drury, Luis Rengifo and Gio Urshela as players who drove in runs in the Angels’ 5-3 win over the A’s. Griffin Canning pitched five innings, giving up three earned runs and four hits, with two walks and seven strikeouts. Carlos Estévez completed a five-out save.
NFL DRAFT
From Sam Farmer: There could be four (or more) quarterbacks selected in the opening round of the NFL draft Thursday evening, and this mock has three going in the first five picks.
The big surprise this contemplates is Seattle taking a passer in the No. 5 spot, even though the Seahawks already have a starter in Geno Smith and plenty of other needs. But Florida’s Anthony Richardson is a freakish prospect who could be too enticing for Seahawks coach Pete Carroll to pass up.
Another eye-opener in this mock is Philadelphia selecting Texas running back Bijan Robinson at No. 10, which would go against the grain for the Eagles. They’re always looking to fortify their offensive and defensive lines.
One way the 2023 NFL draft could unfold:
Grading Les Snead’s 11 Rams drafts: Formula produced two Super Bowl trips and a title
SOCCER
From Kevin Baxter: James Keston tried to be diplomatic. He stayed (mostly) on the high road and said all the right things.
But you didn’t have to scratch too far below the surface to get him to admit Wednesday’s U.S. Open Cup match in Portland is more than just a game for him.
Keston owns the Orange County Soccer Club, champion of the second-tier USL Championship in 2021, which is in Oregon to play the Timbers, the MLS team one could argue was stolen from him.
Now Keston wants justice. Or revenge.
He’ll settle, however, for a win.
Six months after epic MLS Cup final, LAFC and Union meet again in CCL semifinal
THIS DATE IN SPORTS
1905 — Jack McCarthy of the Cubs became the only outfielder in major league history to throw out three runners at the plate, each of whom became the second out of a double play. The victims were the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 2-1 loss.
1950 — The University of Miami ends the longest winning streak in collegiate tennis by defeating William & Mary 8-1. William & Mary, unbeaten in five years, had won 82 consecutive meets.
1952 — Patty Berg scores 64, best competitive round of golf by a woman.
1961 — Roger Maris hits first of 61 homers in 1961.
1964 — The Boston Celtics capture their sixth consecutive NBA title with a 105-99 victory over the San Francisco Warriors in Game 5 of the finals.
1966 — Red Auerbach retires as Boston Celtic’s coach.
1983 — NFL Draft: Stanford quarterback John Elway first pick by Baltimore Colts.
1992 — NFL Draft: University of Washington defensive end Steve Emtman from first pick by Indianapolis Colts.
1995 — The Colorado Rockies post an 11-9 victory over the New York Mets in 14 innings, tying the NL record for innings played in a season opener.
2002 — Odalis Perez of the Dodgers faces the minimum 27 batters in his first career shutout. Perez was perfect for six innings in a 10-0 win over the Cubs at Chicago’s Wrigley Field.
2003 — NFL Draft: USC quarterback Carson Palmer first pick by Cincinnati Bengals.
2008 — NFL Draft: University of Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long first pick by Miami Dolphins.
2009 — French swimmer Frederick Bousquet sets a world record in the 50-meter freestyle, becoming the first person to break the 21-second barrier. Bousquet breaks the record at the French championships finishing in 20.94 seconds.
2012 — Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck is selected first overall in the NFL draft by the Indianapolis Colts, followed by Baylor QB Robert Griffin III, who is taken by the Washington Redskins.
2012 — The Charlotte Bobcats finish with the worst winning percentage in NBA history after a 104-84 loss to the New York Knicks. The Bobcats’ 23rd consecutive loss leaves them with a winning percentage of .106 (7-59) in the lockout-shortened season. The record was set 39 years ago, when the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers finished 9-73 (.110) in a full regular season.
2014 — Wladimir Klitschko toys with Alex Leapai and knocks him out in the fifth round to retain his four heavyweight belts in Oberhausen, Germany.
2015 — FC Bayern Munich wins the Bundesliga for a 25th time.
2018 — NFL Draft: Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield first pick by Cleveland Browns; 4 QBs taken in top 10 selections for first time in history.
—Compiled by the Associated Press
And finally…
Carson Palmer is selected first in the NFL draft. Watch and listen here.
Until next time…
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