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From Dan Woike: The only thing that moved slower than the Lakers was the clock.
They had poured their energy into fighting for everything while building a lead that stretched to 22 in the first half and lived at 20 deep into the second half. They had grabbed and clawed and got clawed and got grabbed and it was still there, a big lead, the Timberwolves and the clock left to beat to even the series at 1-1 and save a split on their home court.
But Minnesota got stronger, faster and smarter.
And the Lakers, mentally and physically got slower.
Two big mistakes from Jaxson Hayes led to five fast Minnesota points. Luka Doncic, who had been fully engaged on the defensive side of the ball, was flat-footed as Anthony Edwards rammed into the paint. Wide-open threes rimmed out.
And the kind of two-on-one fast break with Austin Reaves and LeBron James that usually would be an alley-oop became an alley-oops when Reaves threw the ball too high and James missed the layup.
But the clock kept ticking. And the Lakers kept fighting, drawing enough charges, grabbing enough rebounds, scoring enough (barely) to beat Minnesota, 94-85.
There was the time out in the middle of the third after Minnesota cut the Lakers’ lead down to 11, with JJ Redick rage-walking and f-bombing away from and back to his team’s bench.
“It’s not something that I’d want to do. It’s not something I’m more than comfortable doing,” Redick said. “But I think tonight it was just more about getting that that urgency button switched back on.”
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CLIPPERS
From Broderick Turner: Kawhi Leonard’s teammates marvel at how much the Clippers’ star forward has dedicated himself to get his body back to peak level.
They have watched how Leonard has stayed the course despite the frequent times his body betrayed him. They have supported Leonard during the trying times with his health issues because they have seen how he refuses to wallow in self-pity.
They know what Leonard has done behind the scenes during rehabilitation when the media is not around and on those days and nights when a lot of teammates are not around.
The culmination of all those days in the lab this season working to get his right knee healthy was Leonard’s dominance in Game 2 of the Western Conference playoffs against the Nuggets on Monday night in Denver.
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
Wed., April 30 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)
Thursday at Clippers, 7 p.m., NBA TV
Saturday at Clippers, 3 p.m., TNT
Tuesday at Denver, TBD
Thursday, May 1 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)
Thursday at Memphis, 6:30 p.m., TNT
Saturday at Memphis, 12:30 p.m., TNT
Monday at Oklahoma City, TBD*
Thursday, May 1 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)
Wednesday at Houston, 6:30 p.m., TNT
Saturday at Golden State, 5:30 p.m., ABC
Monday at Golden State, 7 p.m., TNT
Wednesday, April 30 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)
Wednesday at Cleveland, 4:30 p.m., NBA TV
Saturday at Miami, 10 a.m., TNT
Monday at Miami, TBD
Wednesday, April 30 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)
Wednesday at Boston, 4 p.m., TNT
Friday at Orlando, 4 p.m., ESPN
Sunday at Orlando, 4 p.m., TNT
Tuesday at Boston, TBD*
Thursday, May 1 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)
Thursday at Detroit, 4 p.m., TNT
Sunday at Detroit, 10 a.m., ABC
Tuesday at New York, TBD
Thursday, May 1 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
DODGERS
From Jack Harris: Tuesday night epitomized what much of this young season has felt like for the Dodgers.
Momentum would build, then vanish. Right when they finally seemed to kick into top gear, they instead slipped frustratingly back into reverse.
Despite leading by three runs in the first inning, then three again entering the eighth, the Dodgers couldn’t hold on in a wild 11-10, extra-innings loss to the Chicago Cubs, getting outplayed — or, at the very least, outslugged — on a night a wind blowing out turned Wrigley Field into a band box.
ANGELS
Andrew McCutchen hit a three-run homer and the Pittsburgh Pirates had 18 hits for the first time in two years in a 9-3 win over the Angels on Tuesday night that stopped a three-game losing streak.
Bryan Reynolds and Isiah Kiner-Falefa each had three hits with two RBIs as the Pirates won the opener of a three-game series. The 18 hits were the Pirates’ most since April 19, 2023, at Colorado, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Taylor Ward homered and Jo Adell had an RBI double for the Angels, who lost for the sixth time in eight games and dropped back to .500 at 11-11.
José Soriano (2-3) gave up five runs and eight hits in 3 1/3 innings, one start after giving up a career-high 10 hits at Texas.
From Ben Bolch: Early signs of the Nico Iamaleava effect were evident to DeShaun Foster as the UCLA coach scanned the group of seven reporters standing before him, more than twice the usual number.
“When was the last time we had this many people here talking to us, you know what I’m saying?” Foster said Tuesday morning. “So this is a good buzz for us.”
Foster has his quarterback, and now he’s starting to enjoy the perks.
Largely an afterthought a little more than a week ago, the Bruins are now the talk of the college football world after landing the quarterback from Tennessee who was widely regarded as the top player in the transfer portal after leading the Volunteers to the College Football Playoff as a redshirt freshman.
Calling the addition of Iamaleava “just something that we couldn’t pass up,” Foster said it did not necessitate using name, image and likeness funds earmarked for quarterback Joey Aguilar, who is now headed to Tennessee as part of what is being jokingly called a trade between the Bruins and Volunteers.
“If he wanted to stay and compete,” Foster said of Aguilar, “that was fine.”
USC BASKETBALL
From Ryan Kartje: One of the most coveted transfer guards in college basketball committed to USC, giving Eric Musselman the difference-maker he desperately needed in his second portal class.
Rodney Rice chose USC over more established powers Villanova, Tennessee and Gonzaga, all of whom reportedly were willing to shell out major money to reel in the 6-foot-4 junior combo guard.
Exactly what it cost for the Trojans to win the bidding war for Rice, their top transfer target, was not immediately clear. As name, image and likeness paydays for basketball transfers have skyrocketed ahead of a House vs. NCAA settlement set to change athlete compensation rules, reports Tuesday suggested USC paid upward of $3 million for the former Maryland standout.
RAMS
From Gary Klein: Jalen Ramsey helped the Rams win a Super Bowl title in the 2021 season before he was traded to the Miami Dolphins a year later in a cost-cutting move.
Could the Rams and the three-time All-Pro cornerback reunite?
As NFL teams prepare for this week’s draft, the Dolphins have made it known that Ramsey is available to be traded. Rams general manager Les Snead said Tuesday that he had been in contact with the Dolphins as part of annual draft-week conversations.
“There’s a lot of nuances to that situation based on all the things that come with a trade, contracts and things like that,” Snead said when asked about Ramsey during a videoconference with reporters. “So not sure where they’re at in the process.”
CHARGERS
From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: As they moved from station to station in the shadow of the Chargers’ practice facility, Tyler Conklin seemingly never strayed too far from Justin Herbert. No moment is too early for a new tight end to strike up a relationship with the star quarterback.
“He’s a really special guy,” Conklin said Tuesday as the Chargers began their offseason program. “He obviously has the arm, can make every throw on the field, which is crucial, but also just the athleticism he has to extend plays. I think he can do a lot of things that just elevates everybody around him and that’s really exciting to be around.”
With Herbert still at the center of the team’s plans, the Chargers spent the first phase of free agency hoping to surround the quarterback with steady playmakers. Conklin caught 51 passes for 449 yards receiving and a career-best four touchdowns for the New York Jets last season before signing with the Chargers on a one-year contract. Fellow free agents Mike Williams and Najee Harris were also seen on the field Tuesday on the first day of voluntary offseason workouts.
NHL PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE, RESULTS
All times Pacific
First round
Western Conference
Pacific 3 Edmonton vs. Pacific 2 Kings
at Kings 6, Oilers 5 (summary)
Wednesday at Kings, 7 p.m., TBS
Friday at Edmonton, 7 p.m., TNT
Sunday at Edmonton, 6:30 p.m., TBS
Tuesday at Kings, TBD*
Thursday, May 1 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)
Thursday at St. Louis, 6:30 p.m., ESPN2
Sunday at St. Louis, 10 a.m., TBS
Wed., April 30 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)
Monday at Dallas (summary)
Wednesday at Colorado, 6:30 p.m., ESPN
Saturday at Colorado, 6:30 p.m., TBS
Monday at Dallas, TBD*
Thursday, May 1 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)
Thursday at Minnesota, 6 p.m., TBS
Saturday at Minnesota, 1 p.m., TBS
Tuesday at Vegas, TBD*
Thursday, May 1 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)
Thursday at Ottawa, 4 p.m., ESPN2
Saturday at Ottawa, 4 p.m., TBS
Tuesday at Toronto, TBD*
Thursday, May 1 at Ottawa, TBD*
Saturday, May 3 at Toronto, TBD*
Atlantic 3 Florida vs. Atlantic 2 Tampa Bay
Florida 6, at Tampa Bay 2 (summary)
Thursday at Tampa Bay, 3:30 p.m., TBS
Saturday at Florida, 10 a.m., TBS
Monday at Florida, TBD
Wed., April 30 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)
Wednesday at Washington, 4 p.m., ESPN
Friday at Montreal, 4 p.m., TNT
Sunday at Montreal, 3:30 p.m., TBS
Wed., April 30 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
1903 — The New York Highlanders, later renamed Yankees, win their first game as a major league team, 7-2 over the Washington Senators.
1939 — Boston Red Sox Ted Williams hits his 1st HR.
1946 — Ed Head of the Brooklyn Dodgers pitches a no-hitter against the Boston Braves 5-0 at Ebbets Field.
1950 — The Detroit Red Wings edge the New York Rangers 4-3 in Game 7 to win the Stanley Cup.
1950 — The Minneapolis Lakers become the first team to win back-to-back NBA championships by defeating the Syracuse Nationals 110-95 in Game 6 of the finals. George Mikan leads the Lakers with 40 points in a game marred by three fights, four Minneapolis players fouling out, and Nats coach Al Cervi being ejected for complaining too vociferously about a call.
1954 — Hank Aaron hits 1st of his 755 homers.
1969 — Jerry West scores 53 points to lead the Lakers over Boston 120-118 in the opening game of the NBA finals.
1989 — NFL Draft: #1 pick UCLA quarterback Troy Aikman by Dallas Cowboys.
1993 — The Dallas Mavericks avoid matching the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers as the worst team in NBA history, beating Minnesota 103-100 for their 10th triumph of the season.
1999 — Fernando Tatis hits two grand slams in one inning to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a 12-5 win over the Dodgers. Tatis becomes the first player in major league history to hit two grand slams in one inning and set the record with eight RBIs in an inning.
2002 — Brent Johnson of the St. Louis Blues ties an NHL record with three straight shutouts in the playoffs. That had not happened in 57 years. Johnson reaches the milestone with a 1-0 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks.
2005 — NFL Draft: University of Utah quarterback Alex Smith first pick by San Francisco 49ers.
2008 — The Chicago Cubs win their 10,000th game, joining the Giants as the only franchise to reach that mark with a 7-6 victory in 10 innings at Colorado.
2011 — The Portland Trail Blazers rally from 23 points down in the second half, including an 18-point deficit to start the fourth quarter to defeat Dallas 84-82 and tie the first-round series at 2-2. Portland’s Brandon Roy scores 18 in the fourth quarter, including a 4-point play and the go ahead jumper with 39 seconds left. Roy outscores Dallas 18-15 in the quarter.
2020 — NFL Draft: LSU quarterback Joe Burrow first pick by Cincinnati Bengals.
Compiled by the Associated Press
Until next time…
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