Go beyond the scoreboard
Get the latest on L.A.’s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
From Dan Woike: Maybe the Grizzlies haven’t learned?
Despite them being ravaged by injuries and suspensions, their season largely a throwaway, Wednesday’s game with the Lakers was their first time this year hosting the team that ousted them last spring.
But, somehow, Rui Hachimura was still open.
“I got all the flashbacks from last year,” he said.
After Hachimura set the tone in the playoff opener a year ago by drilling five three-point shots, he found himself, again, open in Memphis, two feet behind the line just off Beale.
With the Lakers forced to play without Anthony Davis because of a hyper-extended knee he suffered his 52-minute masterpiece Tuesday in Milwaukee, Hachimura’s shooting and commitment on the glass helped the Lakers hold off the Grizzlies in a 136-124 win — the Lakers’ fifth straight.
Since becoming a full-time starter on Feb. 3, Hachimura is averaging 15 points and shooting 57.3% from the field and 41% from three.
The Lakers are 16-7 since the change.
Austin Reaves’ confidence never faded as he shot double OT game-winner against Bucks
Enjoying this newsletter? Consider subscribing to the Los Angeles Times
Your support helps us deliver the news that matters most. Become a subscriber.
CLIPPERS
Kawhi Leonard completed two three-point plays late in the game then made a block at the rim on the final possession to lead the Clippers to a 108-107 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night.
Paul George had 22 points for Los Angeles while Leonard added 17. James Harden, in his return to Wells Fargo Center, had 16 points and 14 assists for the Clippers, who had lost six of nine.
Tyrese Maxey had 26 points for the 76ers while Kelly Oubre Jr. added 17 points, but was stuffed at the rim by Leonard on a play that 76ers coach Nick Nurse felt should have resulted in a foul on George.
The officiating crew after the game said a foul should have been called on the last play that would have sent Oubre to the line with a chance to win the game.
Nurse stormed onto the court to dispute the non-call and had to be restrained by his assistants. Oubre also jumped into the mix, pointing at each official before being pulled away after the final horn.
“Well I think, listen, I think he took it in there pretty hard, right?” Nurse said. “I looked it on our computer screen a couple times. I thought there was certainly contact. Certainly as much as the last two or three that got called and-1’s at the other end. And that’s all. I just thought it was enough contact to call. But that’s the way it goes sometimes.”
DODGERS
From Jack Harris: In what’s been a week of uncertainty and speculation surrounding the Dodgers, the team secured some important long-term clarity Wednesday afternoon.
On the eve of their regular-season home opener, the Dodgers and catcher Will Smith agreed to a long-term contract extension for 10 years and $140 million, ensuring a key piece of the club’s superstar core will remain in L.A. for a decade to come.
“There’s no organization more committed to winning a World Series,” Smith said Wednesday at a news conference at Dodger Stadium. “That’s the most important thing to me when it comes to baseball. Looking forward to these next 10 years.”
Smith, 28, has emerged in the last couple of seasons as one of the Dodgers’ best recent homegrown success stories. A first-round pick in 2016 out of the University of Louisville, Smith quickly ascended to the Dodgers’ starting catcher role upon making his MLB debut six years ago.
Plaschke: Do you still believe in Shohei Ohtani? I’m not sure
Minus ‘buffer’ of Ippei Mizuhara, Dodgers engaging more directly with Shohei Ohtani
Who is Shohei Ohtani’s new interpreter with Dodgers? They call him ‘Will the Thrill’
Tyler Glasnow adds SoCal cool to Dodgers. Will he help his hometown team win a title?
How the saga of Shohei Ohtani and his interpreter unfolded — and why it’s not over
Is Shohei Ohtani too big to fail?
How Dodgers fans built a gigantic community of L.A. hikers
NCAA MEN’S TOURNAMENT
Men’s schedule
All times Pacific
SWEET 16
Thursday
West Region
No. 2 Arizona vs. No. 6 Clemson, 4:09 p.m., CBS
No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 4 Alabama, 6:39 p.m., CBS
East Region
No. 1 Connecticut vs. No. 5 San Diego St., 4:39 p.m., TBS/truTV
No. 2 Iowa St. vs. No. 3 Illinois, 7:09 p.m., TBS/truTV
Friday
South Region
No. 2 Marquette vs. No. 11 North Carolina St., 4:09 p.m. CBS
No. 1 Houston vs, No. 4 Duke, 6:39 p.m., CBS
Midwest Region
No. 1 Purdue vs. No. 5 Gonzaga, 4:39 p.m., TBS/truTV
No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 3 Creighton, 7:09 p.m., TBS/truTV
Elite Eight: Saturday-Sunday
Final Four: April 6 (Glendale, Ariz.)
Championship: April 8 (Glendale, Ariz.)
NCAA WOMEN’S TOURNAMENT
Women’s schedule
All times Pacific
SWEET 16
Friday
REGIONAL 1
No. 2 Notre Dame vs. No. 3 Oregon St., 11:30 a.m., ESPN
No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 4 Indiana, 2 p.m., ESPN
REGIONAL 4
No. 2 Stanford vs. No. 3 North Carolina St., 4:30 p.m., ESPN
No. 1 Texas vs. No. 4 Gonzaga, 7 p.m., ESPN
Saturday
REGIONAL 2
No. 2 UCLA vs. No. 3 LSU, 10 a.m., ABC
No. 1 Iowa vs. No. 5 Colorado, 12:30 p.m., ABC
REGIONAL 3
No. 1 USC vs. No. 5 Baylor, 2:30 p.m., ESPN
No. 3 Connecticut vs. No. 7 Duke, 5 p.m., ESPN
Elite Eight: Sunday-Monday
Final Four: April 5 (Cleveland)
Championship: April 7 (Cleveland)
NHL
THIS DATE IN SPORTS
1939 — The barnstorming Renaissance Five beat the NBL champion Oshkosh All-Stars, 34-25, to win the first annual World Professional Basketball Tournament in Chicago. Sports reporters of the day make no mention of the fact that all the Rens are black and the All-Stars are all white.
1942 — Stanford beats Dartmouth 53-38 for the NCAA basketball championship.
1944 — Arnold Ferrin’s 22 points leads Utah to a 42-40 victory over Dartmouth for the NCAA basketball championship.
1950 — CCNY beats Bradley 71-68 in the NCAA basketball final to become the only team to win the NIT and NCAA titles in the same year. CCNY beat Bradley 69-61 in the NIT on March 18.
1971 — Gail Goodrich of the Lakers sets an NBA playoff record for most free throws (17) without a miss in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals. Goodrich leads all scorers with 39 points in the 106-98 loss at Chicago.
1972 — Wilt Chamberlain plays his last pro basketball game.
1977 — Marquette beats North Carolina 67-59 for the NCAA basketball title.
1982 — Louisiana Tech beats Cheyney State 76-62 in the NCAA’s first women’s basketball championship. The tournament replaces the AIAW championship which had been held since 1972.
1989 — Southwestern Louisiana pitchers Cathy McAllister and Stefni Whitton pitch back-to-back perfect games against Southeastern Louisiana, a first in NCAA Division I softball history.
1990 — Michael Jordan scores 69 points to help Chicago beat Cleveland 117-113 in overtime and clinch a playoff spot. 4th time he scores 60 pts in a game.
1992 — Christian Laettner hits a 15-foot turnaround jumper at the buzzer to give defending champion Duke a 104-103 overtime victory over Kentucky and a fifth consecutive trip to the Final Four.
1993 — Teemu Selanne of the Winnipeg Jets scores his 69th and 70th goals of the season in a 3-3 tie with Kings. Selanne is the eighth player, and first rookie, to have a 70-goal NHL season.
1995 — Michael Jordan, playing in his fifth game in 22 months, scores 55 points to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 113-111 victory over the New York Knicks.
2012 — The NFL’s new rule for postseason overtime is expanded to cover the regular season on a 30-2 vote by the NFL owners. All games that go into overtime cannot end on a field goal on the first possession.
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.