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From Dan Woike: D’Angelo Russell walked to the bench in the first quarter, goading the New Orleans crowd to jeer.
The Lakers guard had just gotten tangled up with Pelicans fan favorite and All-NBA pest Jose Alvarado, the two players both being called for technical fouls.
The crowd loved it.
As Alvarado led a New Orleans second-half comeback, the fiery guard jawed right at Russell every time he beat him off the dribble, every time he made the right pass or hit the big shot.
But with Alvarado stuck at the table watching, Russell stood open in front of the Pelicans bench. And as Austin Reaves kicked the ball to Russell, he had a chance for revenge.
He got it.
“Big-time shot,” LeBron James said.
Russell’s huge corner three and two Anthony Davis free throws after an offensive rebound were the big plays in the big moments, the Lakers advancing to the playoffs with a 110-106 win in the play-in game at Smoothie King Arena.
The Lakers will get Denver in the first round beginning on Saturday (5:30 p.m., ABC), a Western Conference finals rematch from a year ago.
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CLIPPERS
From Broderick Turner: It’s the same old song when it comes to Kawhi Leonard and his availability for the Clippers when they meet the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of the Western Conference playoffs on Sunday at Crypto.com Arena.
It remains uncertain — a mystery even — if Leonard will play in the first game of the best-of-seven series.
He sat out the last eight games of the regular season because of right knee inflammation.
The Clippers had their first practice Tuesday in preparation for the Mavericks, leaving reporters to ask coach Tyronn Lue if Leonard would fully practice.
“No, not fully,” Lue said. “But he’s going to be a part of practice.”
By the time Sunday arrives, Leonard will have sat out three weeks of game action. So, Lue was asked, if this was about ramping things up for Leonard?
“Yes,” Lue said.
Then came the big question: Will that ramp-up result in Leonard playing Sunday against the Mavericks and their sensational backcourt of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving?
“We’ll see,” Lue said.
NBA PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE
All times Pacific
Play-in tournament
Western Conference
Tuesday’s results
No. 8 Lakers 110, No. 7 New Orleans 106
No. 9 Sacramento 118, No. 10 Golden State 94
Friday
No. 9 Sacramento at No. 7 New Orleans, 6:30 p.m., TNT
Eastern Conference
Wednesday
No. 8 Miami at No. 7 Philadelphia, 4 p.m., ESPN
No. 10 Atlanta at No. 9. Chicago, 6:30 p.m., ESPN
Friday
No. 9-10 winner at No. 7-8 loser, 4 p.m., ESPN
Note: Winner of the Nos. 7 vs. No. 8 game advance to the playoffs as the No. 7 seed. Loser of the game advances to a second play-in game to play the winner of the game between the Nos. 9 and 10 seeds. The winner of that game become the No. 8 seed in their respective conference.
FIRST ROUND
Western Conference
No. 1 Oklahoma City vs. TBA
Sunday at Oklahoma City, TBA
Rest of schedule TBA
No. 2 Denver vs. No. 7 Lakers
Saturday at Denver, 5:30 p.m., ABC
Rest of schedule TBA
No. 3 Minnesota vs. No. 6 Phoenix
Saturday at Minnesota, 12:30 p.m., ESPN
Rest of schedule TBA
No. 4 Clippers vs. No. 5 Dallas
Sunday at Clippers, TBA
Rest of schedule TBA
Eastern Conference
No. 1 Boston vs. No. 8 TBA
Sunday at Boston, TBA
Rest of schedule TBA
No. 2 New York vs. No. 7 TBA
Saturday at New York, 3 p.m., ESPN
Rest of schedule TBA
No. 3 Milwaukee vs. No. 6 Indiana
Sunday at Milwaukee, TBA
Rest of schedule TBA
No. 4 Cleveland vs. No. 5 Orlando
Saturday at Cleveland, 10 a.m., ESPN
Rest of schedule TBA
DODGERS
From Mike DiGiovanna: Mookie Betts continued his opening-month rampage with a career-high-tying five hits, and a struggling bullpen closed the game with six scoreless innings to lead the Dodgers to a 6-2 victory over the Washington Nationals in front of a sellout crowd of 52,718 at Chavez Ravine on Tuesday night.
Betts doubled twice, singled three times, scored twice and had two RBIs, and is now batting .388 with a 1.190 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, six homers, five doubles, 18 RBIs and 22 runs in 20 games, but the score would have been more lopsided if the Dodgers’ $700-million man had delivered in the clutch.
Three times, Shohei Ohtani stepped to the plate with runners in scoring position, and three times the slugger swung at the first pitch, producing a 108-mph groundout to second base in the second inning, a routine grounder to second in the fourth and a fly ball to center field in the seventh.
Ohtani is now one for 19 (.053) with runners in scoring position on the season, paltry numbers for a player who entered Tuesday with a .289 career average, a .618 slugging percentage, 1.036 OPS and 45 homers with runners in scoring position.
“I didn’t realize that,” manager Dave Roberts said of Ohtani’s struggles in the clutch. “But I do know that you have to peel back that small sample. I can recall numerous times he has lined out with runners in scoring position or hit the ball to the wall. [The numbers] are not ideal, but over the course of the season, if he continues to swing the bat like he is, that will balance itself out.”
Carl Erskine, Dodgers pitcher and advocate for those with special needs, dies at 97
‘Pleasant surprise.’ How Andy Pages overcame serious shoulder injury to make Dodgers debut
Shaikin: How Harry Edwards continues to honor Jackie Robinson’s legacy
ANGELS
Amed Rosario drove in the winning run with an infield single and the Tampa Bay Rays scored twice in the 13th inning to complete a late comeback and beat the Angels 7-6 on Tuesday night.
Each team scored once in the 10th and 11th innings and the Angels moved ahead in the top of the 13th.
Richie Palacios got the Rays even at 6-6 with a two-out double in the bottom half of the inning against Carson Fulmer (0-1). Rosario then had a bases-loaded hit down the third-base line that scored Palacios to win it.
Whitey Herzog, Hall of Fame old-school manager of Cardinals and Royals, dies at 92
UCLA BASKETBALL
From Ben Bolch: UCLA’s newest transfer addition could start immediately for coach Mick Cronin and contribute in a variety of ways.
In his first college season, Eric Dailey Jr. showed that he could handle the ball, drive to the basket, post up inside, pull up for three-pointers and make smart passes. The Oklahoma State freshman will take those talents from Stillwater, Okla., to Westwood after announcing on social media Tuesday that he was committed to the Bruins.
“Bruin Nation,” Dailey wrote on the social media platform X above a picture of himself and family members surrounded by UCLA’s 11 NCAA championship trophies, “Let’s get to it!!!”
Dailey becomes the team’s third transfer addition, joining Louisville guard Skyy Clark and USC forward Kobe Johnson. UCLA has two more open scholarships, one of which will presumably be filled by a center after Adem Bona announced he would declare for the NBA draft.
A 6-foot-8 forward, Dailey can play both inside and out. Last season, he was the only player in the Big 12 Conference to finish in the top five among freshmen in points (9.3), rebounds (4.8) and assists (1.5) per game despite coming off the bench as a sixth man over the second half of the season to maximize mismatches.
NHL
THIS DATE IN SPORTS
1939 — Joe Louis knocks out Jack Roper at 2:20 of the first round in Los Angeles to retain the world heavyweight title.
1947 — Jackie Robinson bunts for his first major league hit.
1951 — Mickey Mantle’s first game.
1976 — Mike Schmidt hits four consecutive home runs and drives in eight runs as the Philadelphia Phillies overcome a 13-2 deficit to beat the Cubs 18-16 in 10 innings at Chicago’s Wrigley Field.
1982 — The Denver Nuggets’ Alex English, Dan Issel and Kiki Vandeweghe each average 20 points a game, the first front court to do so since Bob Pettit, Cliff Hagan and Clyde Lovellette of St. Louis in 1961.
1987 — Julius Erving of the Philadelphia 76ers becomes the third player to score 30,000 points in his pro career. Erving scores 38 points to join Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
1994 — Carl Lewis and his Santa Monica Track Club teammates rewrite their world record in the 800-meter relay at the Mt. San Antonio College Relays. Lewis, Mike Marsh, Leroy Burrell and Floyd Heard are timed at 1:18.68, breaking the record of 1:19.11 they had set on April 25, 1992.
1997 — The New Jersey Devils’ Martin Brodeur becomes the second NHL goalie to score in the playoffs. Brodeur’s empty net goal caps a three-goal third period that gives the Devils a 5-2 win and a 1-0 lead in a first-round series against Montreal.
1999 — Quarterbacks go 1-2-3 in the NFL Draft as Tim Couch, Donovan McNabb and Akili Smith go to Cleveland, Philadelphia and Cincinnati — the first quarterback trifecta since 1971.
2001 — Barry Bonds becomes the 17th major leaguer to hit 500 home runs. Bonds’ two-run, eighth-inning drive off Terry Adams leads the San Francisco Giants over the Dodgers 3-2.
2006 — Sidney Crosby, scores three assists in Pittsburgh’s 6-1 win over the New York Islanders to become the youngest player in NHL history to score 100 points in a season. The 18-year-old becomes the seventh NHL rookie to reach the 100-point mark.
2010 — Ubaldo Jimenez pitches the first no-hitter in the Colorado Rockies’ 18-year history, dominating the Atlanta Braves in a 4-0 victory.
2011 — Jimmie Johnson wins the Aaron’s 499, edging Clint Bowyer by about a foot. The official margin of 0.002 seconds, ties for the closest finish in NASCAR Sprint Cup history.
Compiled by the Associated Press
Until next time…
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