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From Dan Woike: The first row of seats directly across from the benches was empty at the start of the second half. Instead of watching the game courtside, fans were attending a party for Netflix’s “Running Point,” a comedy inspired by Jeanie Buss that premiered Thursday.
Early in the third quarter, LeBron James flew into some of the empty seats, flying at Naz Reid, who had an open look at a three-pointer. James caused just enough of a distraction that Reid missed, the Lakers pushing the other way and scoring as James untangled himself from a collapsed row of chairs.
It was another moment, another play by James for a Lakers team that has suddenly become one of the NBA’s grittiest — a group that fights on defense and can grind out wins where its offense isn’t at its best like Thursday, when it hung on for a 111-102 win.
James finished with 33 points, 17 rebounds and six assists. Austin Reaves scored 23 points.
The Lakers (36-21) raced to a 23-point lead against Minnesota, dominating from the tip thanks to stellar play that has made them the league’s most efficient team on defense over the past 20-plus games.
Plaschke: It’s stunning but true. Luka Doncic and LeBron James can lead the Lakers to an NBA title
The Luka Doncic rumor mill: Mavericks may be motivated to smear new Laker with beer, hookah jabs
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DODGERS
From Jack Harris: He might have only been knocking the rust off. But Freddie Freeman was still less than thrilled.
Facing live pitching for one of the few times all spring this week, Freeman stood at the plate on a nondescript backfield at the Dodgers’ Camelback Ranch facility and took swing after swing against a couple of minor leaguers.
Less than three months removed from offseason surgery on his right ankle, the session was a grind.
Several times, Freeman grunted as he rolled soft grounders toward first base. On a lazy pop-up to left, he sarcastically quipped that it “went the other way, at least.” After ending another at-bat with a big swing-and-miss, Freeman simply looked down as he trudged out of the box.
Coming off his triumphant World Series and celebratory offseason, this moment was a more appropriate snapshot of the reality Freeman has faced this spring.
UCLA BASKETBALL
From Ben Bolch: Given one statistic about Aday Mara’s value, UCLA coach Mick Cronin matched it with one of his own.
When a reporter mentioned that the Bruins are 8-0 this season when the sophomore center logs at least 15 minutes, Cronin added that the team has won all six games in which Mara plays at least 20 minutes.
So what’s the big takeaway from these analytics involving the tallest player on the team?
“Make sure he gets 20 minutes a game,” Cronin said Wednesday.
Those wondering why that wasn’t already the case after Mara enjoyed a breakthrough starting late last month should understand the circumstances. Mara contracted a suspected case of norovirus before the Bruins played Penn State several weeks ago, his condition later turning into a respiratory illness.
CHARGERS
From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: Michigan tight end Colston Loveland doesn’t need a meeting with the Chargers to pitch the team on his fit in the NFL. Coach Jim Harbaugh already knows.
Loveland, who won a national championship with Harbaugh in 2023 before the coach jumped to the NFL, is a potential first-round draft target for the Chargers, who pick 22nd in April’s draft. Speaking at the NFL scouting combine Thursday, Loveland said he had yet to meet with the Chargers but got to briefly reunite with Harbaugh at the event.
Mock drafts from NFL.com and Yahoo Sports have the Chargers selecting Michigan’s single-season record holder for receptions by a tight end in the first round.
Pro Football Focus and USA Today think the Chargers could favor a running back in a class general manager Joe Hortiz acknowledged as especially deep at the position. Pro Football Focus even predicted the Chargers would trade up to grab Boise State’s record-setting Ashton Jeanty. The Times’ Sam Farmer has them taking Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden.
OLYMPICS in L.A.
From David Wharton: Organizers of the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles say they are on track to reach about $2 billion in secured corporate sponsorships by year’s end, moving them significantly closer to the $2.5 billion needed to help pay for the costly sporting event.
Their optimism stems from what they describe as increased interest from prospective sponsors in the six months since the wildly popular 2024 Paris Games.
“It would not surprise me if we do three or four [times] the sponsorship deals this year, from a dollar standpoint, than we did all of last year,” said John Slusher, chief executive of LA28’s commercial operation. “So business is just on fire.”
In the years since L.A. was selected as a host city, organizers have vowed to generate enough revenue to cover their projected $7-billion budget. Sponsorships would represent a major chunk of that total, with other funds coming from International Olympic Committee contributions, ticket sales and merchandising.
DUCKS
Frank Vatrano, Cutter Gauthier and Ryan Strome scored in the second period and the surging Ducks beat the Vancouver Canucks 5-2 on Thursday night for their fifth consecutive home victory.
Jackson LaCombe got a four-on-four goal late in the third period for the Ducks, and Troy Terry added an empty-net goal to wrap up the Ducks’ eighth win in 11 games. Terry and Strome finished with a goal and two assists apiece.
Lukas Dostal made 22 saves in the Ducks’ first home game in more than three weeks.
THIS DATE IN SPORTS
1922 — In the first formal college conference basketball tournament, North Carolina beats Mercer 40-26 to win the Southern Intercollegiate Conference championship. The 13-team conference keeps standings in its’ second season.
1929 — The Chicago Blackhawks are shutout for an NHL-record eighth straight game. It’s not a total loss, as the Blackhawks hold the New York Rangers scoreless for a 0-0 tie.
1940 — College basketball is televised for the first time. Station W2XBS transmits a basketball doubleheader from New York’s Madison Square Garden. Pittsburgh plays Fordham and New York University competes against Georgetown.
1957 — Johnny Longden becomes the first jockey in history to reach 5,000 victories. Longden, who started his career in 1927, coaxes Bente to a head victory over Flying Finish II in the fourth race at Santa Anita Park.
1960 — The United States hockey team scores six goals in the third period to beat Czechoslovakia 9-4 and win the gold medal in the Winter Olympics at Squaw Valley. The U.S. is down 4-3 after two periods, but Roger Christian scores three times in the third. Roger’s brother, Bill Christian, assists on two of the three goals.
1971 — Jack Nicklaus wins the PGA Championship by beating Billy Casper by three strokes.
1981 — Houston’s Calvin Murphy makes the last of his 78 consecutive free throws, in a game against San Diego, setting what was then an NBA record.
1986 — Baseball commissioner Peter Ueberroth conditionally suspends Dave Parker of the Cincinnati Reds, Keith Hernandez of the New York Mets, Joaquin Andujar of the Oakland Athletics, Lonnie Smith of the Kansas City Royals, Enos Cabell of the Dodgers, Jeff Leonard of the San Francisco Giants and Dale Berra of the New York Yankees for one year for drug abuse. After conditions are met the suspensions are reduced.
1987 — Chick Hearn, broadcaster for the Lakers, calls his 2,000th consecutive game for the club, a streak spanning 22 years.
1993 — Winnipeg’s Teemu Selanne scores four goals and becomes the third rookie in NHL history to score 50 goals in a season. Selanne scores his 51st goal in the third period to help the Jets defeat the Minnesota North Stars 7-6 at Winnipeg Arena.
1999 — Venus and Serena Williams become the first sisters to win WTA Tour events on the same day. Venus wins the IGA SuperThrift Tennis Classic in Oklahoma City after Serena takes her first title on the WTA Tour at the Gaz de France Open.
2003 — In Val Di Fiemme, Italy, Johnny Spillane wins the Nordic combined sprint to become the first American to win a gold medal at the Nordic world championships.
2010 — Sidney Crosby scores the winning goal in overtime to give Canada a 3-2 victory over the United States in the final event of the Vancouver Olympics. The American silver is the 37th medal won by the United States at these games and the U.S. wins the medals race for the first time since 1932.
2020 — Court of Arbitration for Sport bans Chinese triple Olympic gold medallist Sun Yang from swimming for 8 years for breaking anti-doping rules.
Compiled by the Associated Press
Until next time…
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