CARSON, Calif. — Houston’s Guilherme Santos matched a first-half goal by the Galaxy’s Joseph Paintsil and the Dynamo and Galaxy played to a 1-1 draw on Saturday night at Dignity Health Sports Park.
Paintsil staked the Galaxy to a 1-0 lead with an unassisted score in the 30th minute and Santos answered in the 41st with assists from Jack McGlynn — his fourth — and defender Antônio Carlos — his first.
It was the third goal this season for Paintsil after he found the net 10 times in each of his first two seasons.
Santos has eight goals in his first 14 appearances in the league.
Jonathan Bond finished with five saves for Houston (7-6-1). Bond made 89 starts with the Galaxy from 2021 to 2023.
JT Marcinkowski saved three shots for the Galaxy (5-5-5).
Houston had played a club-record 13 straight matches without a draw to begin a season.
The league takes a break for the World Cup and will return to action on July 16.
Kiki Rice dribbled to the hoop, deked and then put up a shot over the Toronto Tempo practice squad, crisp ombre blue-and-burgundy nails releasing the ball into the basket.
Just over a month ago and just about 10 miles away, Rice‘s blue-and-yellow nails grasped the NCAA championship trophy in celebration at Pauley Pavilion. That’s when she was starring for UCLA and leading the Bruins to their first NCAA national title during her fourth college season.
She was one of six Bruins to be selected in the WNBA draft on April 14, with all of them sticking to notoriously difficult-to-crack WNBA rosters. Rice was the expansion Toronto Tempo’s first college pick.
“We got really lucky getting her in the draft,” Tempo coach Sandy Brondello said. “She hasn’t disappointed.”
Former UCLA star Kiki Rice holds up a Toronto Tempo jersey next to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. Rice was the Tempo’s first draft pick and was selected No. 6.
(Angelina Katsanis / Getty Images)
In her first two WNBA games, Rice has averaged 7.7 points and 1.3 assists in 20 minutes per game. She has been coming off of the bench to back up starting point guard Julie Allemand, who the Tempo took from the Sparks in the expansion draft.
“There’s definitely a lot of adjustments and getting used to what it is like inside this level,” Rice said on Friday. “But I’m with great vets, really great coaches, and I’m really enjoying the play as a pro.”
The No. 6 pick in this year’s WNBA draft, Rice elevated her stock as a prospect by having her best UCLA season. She finished her senior season averaging 14.9 points per game with 5.9 rebounds and 4.3 assists, and was named the Big Ten tournament MVP.
Ahead of the NCAA tournament, WNBA scouts said that her defensive prowess and willingness to charge to the basket made her emerge as an early first-round candidate.
“She stays confident in who she is, and that’s what we just pour into her,” Brondello said. “She comes from a really successful, you know, college program in UCLA. Cori [Close] is a great coach, and you know, pushed her hard for greatness. So she’s very mature. She knows that there’s another level that she can go to. She’s going to work really hard to get there.”
Rice went through the WNBA rookie gauntlet, going from the NCAA championship game to the draft within a week and then straight to the Tempo’s training camp.
“It’s something we all go through, it’s the same for all the rookies,” Rice said. “I feel like I haven’t slept a ton the past few weeks. It’s definitely not easy, it happens very quickly, but I am very grateful to be in the position.”
Sparks coach Lynne Roberts coached against Rice during her first two UCLA seasons while the former was the head coach at Utah.
Tempo guard Kiki Rice drives past the Storm’s Zia Cooke during expansion franchise Toronto’s first win on Wednesday in Toronto.
(Michael Chisholm / Getty Images)
“I think she’s going to do well with Sandy in her system,” Roberts said on Friday. “I saw over the course of her four years … her decision making, you know, improve and get better, which is natural, and her outside shot get more comfortable. … She’s going to be a good player to watch.”
Rice faced her old teammates Lauren Betts and Angela Dugalic with the Washington Mystics in the franchise’s first game on May 8, and the trio hugged at center court in Toronto. Rice had one assist and no points in 18 minutes during the loss. She rebounded with 12 points and one assist in 21 minutes during the franchise’s first win over the Seattle Storm on Wednesday.
“Playing with five other pros, you got the advantage of really competitive practices,” Rice said of her time at UCLA. “[The draft] was an incredible moment, something that’s very special for all of us. We didn’t do it alone, and to be able to share it with some of my closest friends, and to hear everyone’s name, be called to see everyone walk across the stage, be able to celebrate together, enjoy the moment, was special.”
This weekend provided a different kind of reunion, with her UCLA coaches in attendance Friday night as Rice scored 11 points and added two assists in 21 minutes during a loss to the Sparks. The Tempo rallied to within one possession in the final minute and get a rematch on Sunday.
SEATTLE — Gabriel Pec had a goal and an assist to back goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski and the Galaxy beat Seattle 2-0 on Saturday night, ending the Sounders’ 22-match unbeaten streak at home as well as a nine-match unbeaten run this season.
Greg Vanney led Los Angeles to its first victory in Seattle since July 9, 2016 — Bruce Arena’s final season as the Galaxy’s coach.
Pec used assists from Marco Reus and defender Miki Yamane in the 23rd minute to score his fifth goal of the season, giving the Galaxy a 1-0 lead that stood through halftime. It was his fourth goal in the last three matches and his 27th in 75 career appearances.
Reus’ assist was his fifth this season, while Yamane collected his first.
Pec and Edwin Cerrillo set up Matheus Nascimento’s first goal this season two minutes into stoppage time to clinch the victory. Cerrillo entered in the 89th minute before snagging his first assist and Pec’s helper was his fourth.
Marcinkowski stopped six shots for the Galaxy (5-5-4). It was his first clean sheet in his 10th start this season.
Andrew Thomas finished without a save for Seattle (7-2-3), whose only other loss came in its road opener at Real Salt Lake on Feb. 28.
The Galaxy extended the league’s longest current streak with at least one goal scored to 23.
Seattle was the last team to shut out the Galaxy, doing so with a 4-0 road win on Aug. 10 last season.
The Sounders were coming off a 3-2 victory over Arena’s San Jose Earthquakes on Wednesday, while the Galaxy lost to Sporting Kansas City — whose only other victory to that point came against the Galaxy on the road.
The Galaxy lead the all-time series with the Sounders 16-11-15, including a 5-8-8 record in Seattle.
The Sounders fall to 4-1-1 at home and the Galaxy improve to 3-3-2 on the road.
The Sparks are finally in the win column, but the outcome was in doubt late Friday night.
Behind double-digit scoring from all five starters, the Sparks had by far their best offensive showing of the season, shooting 63.8% during a 99-95 win over the expansion Toronto Tempo.
The Tempo didn’t make things easy, cutting the deficit to two points late and later trailing by just three with 31 seconds remaining and possession of the ball. Marina Mabrey missed a three-point attempt before late Tempo fouls gave the Sparks enough of a cushion to win.
Kelsey Plum nearly claimed a double-double with 27 points and nine assists, while Dearica Hamby had 19 points with seven rebounds and Nneka Ogwumike scored 20 points.
Erica Wheeler, who started in place of Ariel Atkins (concussion), scored 10 points with seven assists and was a plus-16 as the primary ball handler after starting the season two for 16 from the field. That freed up Plum to be in position to score, setting up a much more efficient Sparks offense.
Toronto was shorthanded in the frontcourt without starting center Temi Fagbenle (right shoulder), and the Sparks trio of bigs had a field day with 54 points in the paint.
The Sparks came out firing on Friday, opening with a 17-2 run.
The Tempo went on a 10-0 burst heading into the second quarter but the Sparks countered to maintain momentum and led 46-38 at halftime.
A Wheeler three-pointer early in the third quarter gave the Sparks a 20-point lead. The Tempo cut it to three midway through the fourth while Brittany Sykes (27 points, seven assists) sparked Toronto’s rally. The Tempo put up more shots than the Sparks, 70-58, largely because of a 10-2 offensive-rebounding gap.
Cameron Brink’s 10 points were the only ones provided by the Sparks’ bench, while the Tempo got 42 points from reserves.
Toronto was coming off its first win in franchise history on Wednesday when it defeated Seattle but struggled against a more complete offensive team in the Sparks.
In her return to Los Angeles after winning a national championship with UCLA this spring, Tempo rookie Kiki Rice netted 11 points.
Kate Martin made her Sparks debut as a developmental player with Atkins and Sania Feagin (lower left leg) unavailable and picked up one rebound in six minutes.
The Sparks will face Toronto again on Sunday at Crypto.com Arena.
ST. LOUIS — Tomas Totland scored four minutes into the match and fellow defender Rafael Santos added a second-half goal to help St. Louis City beat LAFC for the first time, earning a 2-1 victory on Wednesday night.
Totland used assists from Eduard Löwen and Marcel Hartel to find the net for the first time this season and the third time in 55 career appearances. It was the first assist of the campaign for Löwen and the second for Hartel.
Santos added an unassisted goal in the 64th minute. It was his first score this season and his fourth in 92 career matches. Santos entered the match in the 10th minute for an injured Jaziel Orozco.
David Martínez entered the match in the 70th minute and scored in the 73rd to cut it to 2-1. Nkosi Tafari and defender Aaron Long set up Martínez’s fourth goal this season and his 11th in 58 appearances.
Roman Bürki finished with three saves for St. Louis City (3-6-3), which entered the match 0-5-2 all time against LAFC.
Hugo Lloris did not have a save for LAFC (6-4-3). He leads the league with eight clean sheets in 11 starts.
Mathieu Choinière scored his only two goals of the season — both from long range — to lead LAFC to a 2-0 victory over St. Louis City on March 14.
St. Louis City had scored just 10 goals in its first 11 matches under coach Yoann Damet, second fewest in the league.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Calvin Harris had a goal and two assists and Dejan Joveljić scored against his former team, leading Sporting Kansas City to a 3-1 victory over the visiting Galaxy on Wednesday night.
Sporting KC (2-8-2) snapped an eight-match winless streak under first-year manager Raphaël Wicky and an eight-match winless skid at home dating to last year. The club’s only other victory came against the Galaxy (4-5-4) — a 2-1 road win on March 14 in which Joveljić also scored.
Sporting KC grabbed a 1-0 lead in the 32nd minute on Capita Capemba’s first career goal in his sixth appearance. Harris and Lasse Berg Johnsen had assists.
Joveljić made it 2-0 at halftime when he scored in the fourth minute of stoppage time with assists from Harris and defender Zorhan Bassong. It was his sixth goal this season and his 24th in 44 appearances with his new club. Joveljić scored 34 goals for the Galaxy from 2021-24. He scored the winner in the final against the New York Red Bulls in 2024 for L.A.’s sixth MLS Cup before being traded in the offseason.
Harris found the net in the 70th minute for a 3-0 lead with helpers from Manu García and Jacob Bartlett, who entered in the 61st. It was Harris’ first goal this season and his 12th in 113 career matches.
Stefan Cleveland totaled six saves for Sporting KC in his third start this season and the 15th of his career.
J.T. Marcinkowski saved six shots for Los Angeles.
The Galaxy extended their current scoring streak to a league-best 22 straight matches when Gabriel Pec scored in the 89th minute for his 10th goal of the season. Justin Haak and former Sporting KC member Erik Thommy had assists.
Pec scored two late goals in a 2-1 road win over Atlanta United last time out. It was his 10th goal of the campaign.
Sporting KC ties the all-time series at 29-29-18 while improving to 20-10-9 at home against the Galaxy.
Joveljić has scored in three straight matches against his former teammates.
Jack McGlynn scored a goal in each half and the Houston Dynamo thumped LAFC 4-1 on Sunday night at BMO Stadium.
McGlynn used an assist from Lawrence Ennali in the 25th minute to score on a shot from well outside the box, giving Houston a 1-0 lead. It was McGlynn’s first goal after scoring a career-high six times last season.
Guilherme Santos scored off a free kick in the 34th minute for a two-goal lead. The first-year midfielder has six goals in 11 matches.
McGlynn had a shot from nearly the same spot hit the far post, also in the 42nd, and Nathan Ordaz answered for LAFC three minutes later to cut it to 2-1 at halftime. McGlynn was booked for a yellow card in the fourth minute of stoppage time.
Stephen Eustáquio notched his third assist in seven appearances on Ordaz’s second goal, and Jacob Shaffelburg picked up his second in five outings this season and his 15th in 134 appearances. Ordaz has found the net eight times in 67 matches.
Mateusz Bogusz got a second chance to score in the 51st minute, using his left foot to find the net for the second time for a 3-1 lead. Bogusz scored 18 goals in 60 appearances with LAFC from 2023-24.
McGlynn gave the Dynamo a three-goal lead in the 55th with assists from Ennali and Santos, who already has five helpers. Ennali collected his first two assists of the campaign.
Jonathan Bond finished with five saves for Houston (6-5-0), which improved to 2-3-1 on the road.
Hugo Lloris saved two shots for LAFC (6-3-3), which drops to 4-2-1 at home. Lloris entered with eight shutouts through his first 10 starts, posting three more clean sheets than any other keeper in the league.
The Dynamo have gone 5-2-1 in the last eight matchups, holding LAFC scoreless in five of them.
LAFC beat the Dynamo 2-0 in Houston to close out February.
LAFC’s Sergi Palencia left with an apparent injury in the 42nd minute.
Up next for LAFC: visits St. Louis City on Wednesday.
In their darkest playoff hour, Lakers coach JJ Redick advised his players during practice Sunday to take the same mental approach for the win-or-go-home Game 4 that they’ve used since the first day of training camp.
The Lakers trail the Oklahoma City Thunder 3-0 in the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series. The Lakers must beat the Thunder at Crypto.com Arena on Monday night or their season is over.
“Our first slide that we put up in training camp was [to] win the day,” Redick said. “Today was a quick offensive review and then just going over some stuff defensively. Got to win today and we got to win tomorrow. We know what we’re facing being down 3-0. So it’s just more of a mindset check than anything else.”
No NBA team has ever come back to win a series when trailing 3-0, with those teams holding a 161-0 record.
Those are the long odds the Lakers face.
Redick was asked what his team’s mood was like at practice.
“These guys are good,” he said.
Redick then was asked what his squad has shown him that gives him hope the Lakers can still win.
“Affirmation,” he responded.
Even after losing three games by an average of 19.6 points per game, the Lakers still cling to some hope.
Rui Hachimura has been on what Redick called a “heater” from three-point range. He has made 57.1% of his threes and has shot 54.1% from the floor in the series, averaging 18.3 points per game.
Hachimura thought back to the Lakers’ first-round series against the Houston Rockets and how they had a commanding 3-0 lead. But the Rockets fought back to make the series 3-2 before the Lakers closed out the series.
“It’s crazy, but I think that’s the mentality we need,” Hachimura said. “I think it’s one at a time. I think especially with this type of team, you can’t really make mistakes. … We have to keep the same energy the whole game. That’s the only way we can win. So, we know what we do.”
Lakers star LeBron James plays against the Thunder in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals on Saturday.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
What they need to do is play better in the third quarter. The Lakers have been outscored 92-61 in the third quarter by the Thunder.
“I feel like every game we’re getting closer,” Hachimura said. “Especially last night … apparently we had the best offensive game of the series, even the playoffs. I think we had really good looks, great looks. But I think defensively we, especially in the third quarter, we kind of slowed down. I don’t know [if] we got burned out or we got tired, whatever.
“So, I think our focus is like how we play in the first half we have to do in the whole game. … That’s going to be our goal.”
The Lakers have managed to slow down Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander by having Marcus Smart guard him and putting constant double teams on the reigning NBA most valuable player.
Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 21.0 points per game in the series, far below the 31.1 points he averaged during the regular season. He’s averaging 5.7 assists per game, which is below his 6.6 during the regular season, and he’s shooting 45.8%, which is below his 55.3% for the season. He’s averaging four turnovers in the series as well.
But Chet Holmgren, who is averaging a double-double in the series at 21.3 points per game and 10.0 rebounds, has been a handful for the Lakers. Ajay Mitchell is averaging 20.7 points per game and 6.6 assists.
That’s why the Lakers are on the verge of seeing their season end. The Lakers have faced adversity all season, but Game 4 will be the ultimate test.
“Being on the Lakers, you feel like your back’s against the wall every game,” Redick said. “So I think the whole season has prepared us to be in a position where we’re in the second round of the Western Conference and being in the mix with a great basketball team.”
Dudinha had a goal and an assist to lead the San Diego Wave to a 2-1 victory over rival Angel City on Saturday at BMO Stadium.
Dudinha beat multiple Angel City defenders before firing a shot that was deflected off defender Sarah Gorden for the opening goal in the 49th minute.
Angel City’s Emily Sams scored in the 54th minute to even the score.
San Diego (6-0-3) took the lead for good when Dudinha’s cross found the head of rookie defender Mimi Van Zanten in the 81st minute. Dudinha’s fourth assist tied her for the league lead with Portland’s Olivia Moultrie.
Angel City (3-0-4) started the 2026 season with three straight wins but it has lost its last four games.
Former Angel City head coach and current Wave assistant Becki Tweed led the club with Jonas Eidevall suspended because of a red card in last week’s 1-0 home loss to Bay FC.
Sophia Wilson scored in stoppage time for her first goal of the season and the Portland Thorns defeated Angel City 2-1 on Sunday.
After a scoreless first half at BMO Stadium, Pietra Tordin’s header opened up the scoring for the Thorns (4-1-1) in the 76th minute. In her professional soccer debut, rookie defender Carolyn Calzada provided the assist.
Wilson doubled the lead in stoppage time with a left-footed blast into the side netting. It was her first goal of the season after taking all of last year off for the birth of her daughter. Her last goal for the Thorns came on Nov. 1, 2024.
Second-half substitute, forward Prisca Chilufya trimmed the lead in half in the final minute of stoppage time for Angel City.
Japan International Jun Endo made her return from injury as a substitute in the 62nd minute for Angel City (3-2-0).
HOUSTON — The Lakers still have control of this first-round series, even after the blow they took from the Houston Rockets on Sunday night.
As ugly as their 115-96 loss was, the Lakers still hold a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference series.
All the Lakers have to do is win Game 5 on Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena and they will advance to the second round.
But they will have to play better than they did in Game 4.
LeBron James, who played a stellar 45 minutes during the Lakers’ overtime win Friday night, wasn’t as spry. He had just 10 points, reaching double figures on a floater with 8:37 left and the Lakers down 26.
He was just two for nine from the field and he had eight turnovers. James also had nine assists and became the first player in NBA history to record 3,000 field goals in the playoffs.
Luke Kennard was quiet with seven points, and Marcus Smart had nine, both on three-for-eight shooting. Rui Hachimura had 13 points on six-for-10 shooting.
The bigger concern was the Lakers’ inability to take care of the ball. They turned it over 24 times, their most in the series, though they’ve had 20 or more in three of the four games.
All of Houston’s starters scored in double figures. Amen Thompson had 23 points and seven assists, and Alperen Sengen finished with 19 points and six rebounds.
When the Lakers went down by 17 points in the third quarter on a Thompson basket that was part of Houston’s 12-4 run to open the frame, Lakers coach JJ Redick called a timeout to allow his players to collect themselves.
Lakers star LeBron James drives to the basket over Houston’s Reed Sheppard, left, and Alperen Sengun during the first half Sunday.
(Karen Warren / Associated Press)
It didn’t help, as the Lakers’ deficit swelled to 26 points.
It didn’t get better for the Lakers later in the quarter when Deandre Ayton was ejected because of a flagrant foul for his left elbow striking Sengun on the side of the head.
Ayton was having one of his best games in the playoffs, bouncing back from two quiet efforts to post 19 points and 10 rebounds before he was ejected with 5:41 left in the third quarter.
Austin Reaves shot before the game in an attempt to play for the first time since being injured April 2 at Oklahoma City, and again he was downgraded from questionable to out because of a left oblique muscle strain.
In the end, the Lakers saw no need to rush Reaves back considering how they had dominated the series. Two days off before Game 5 will give Reaves more time to get healthy.
“It’s fair to consider everything,” Redick said. “Austin and I had a conversation yesterday for a long time, and I think ultimately the athlete has to feel confidence, and that’s always the final hurdle coming back from an injury, is the psychological component of it.”
For the Rockets, Kevin Durant missed his third game of the series because of a bone bruise in his sprained left ankle.
Lakers point guard Luka Doncic (Grade 2 left hamstring strain) continues to work out on the court, but there’s no timetable for his return.
“[He] was able to move a little bit today on the court, which, you know, most of the stuff had been stand-still,” Redick said. “So he’s progressing, but no update on any timeline or anything like that.”
EDMONTON, Canada — Cutter Gauthier broke a tie off a rebound with 4:52 left and the Ducks beat Edmonton 6-4 on Wednesday night in Game 2 to even the first-round series, with Oilers star Connor McDavid slowed by an apparent leg injury.
McDavid appeared to catch an edge early in the second period after getting tangled up with teammate Mattias Ekholm and the Ducks’ Ian Moore. McDavid briefly left the game before returning, playing just over 24 minutes.
Game 3 is Friday night at Honda Center. Edmonton opened the series Monday night with a 4-3 victory.
Gauthier put the Ducks back in front after Josh Samanski — making his playoff debut — tied it at 4 with 6:09 to go. Ryan Poehling put it away with an empty-netter with 1:10 left, his second goal of the game. He scored shorthanded in the second.
Pavel Mintyukov, right, of the Ducks battles against Kasperi Kapanen of the Oilers in the second period.
(Codie McLachlan / Associated Press)
Gauthier also scored on a first-period power play and set up Alex Killorn’s second-period goal on a man advantage. Killorn added two assists.
Jacob Trouba added a goal, fellow defenseman Jackson LaCombe had three assists and Lukas Dostal stopped 33 shots.
Leon Draisaitl had a goal and an assist for Edmonton. He returned for Game 1 from a lower-body injury against Nashville on March 15.
Connor Murphy and Zach Hyman also scored for the Oilers, and Connor Ingram made 22 saves.
They did the heavy lifting for the Lakers, combining for 76 points, 16 rebounds and 16 assists to carry the Lakers to a 101-94 win over the Houston Rockets in Game 2 of the Western Conference playoffs Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena.
James had another near triple-double with 28 points, eight rebounds and seven assists to help the Lakers take a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. He capped his night with a two-handed dunk with 55.3 seconds left to make sure the Lakers didn’t blow a 15-point lead they built in the first half.
Lakers guard Marcus Smart, sprawled on the court, steals the ball from Rockets forward Kevin Durant during the first quarter of Game 2.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Smart had 25 points, seven assists and two rebounds while his defense was outstanding once again. Smart, who was eight-for-13 from the field, drilled a big-time three-pointer late in the fourth quarter to give the Lakers an eight-point lead.
Kennard had 23 points, six rebounds and two assists. His two free throws with 14.3 seconds left capped the scoring.
And once again, the Lakers showed their clutch genes, this time doing so with Luka Doncic (Grade 2 left hamstring strain) and Austin Reaves (Grade 2 left oblique muscle strain), sitting on the bench injured.
The Lakers had the best clutch record in the NBA during the regular season, going 22-8 in games when the score was within five points in the final five minutes. The Rockets on the other hand, went 22-23 during clutch moments, ranking 16th in the league.
“We all got to pick up our play,” James said. “When you’ve got two big guns out like we have, we all got to pick up our play. And that’s all it’s about. We’re all just trying to contribute, make contributions in all facets of the game, pick up our play. Obviously, we’re missing Luka and missing AR, so we’re just trying to seize the opportunity. That’s all.”
Kevin Durant returned to play after missing Game 1 because of a right knee contusion, and he was sharp early on, scoring 20 points in the first half. But Durant had just three points in the second half and he had nine turnovers for the game.
With the Rockets hosting Game 3 on Friday night, James said he found no comfort in how the Lakers defended Durant.
“None. That just makes him even madder going into Game 3. No satisfaction,” James, who played 39 minutes and 12 seconds, said. “You know, we did our job. We did that. But the guy’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer and he’s going to make way more great plays than not. So, we don’t have no satisfaction. That game is over and done with, but it’s still a tall challenge.”
Lakers guard Luke Kennard takes the ball from Rockets forward Kevin Durant during Game 2 of their first-round playoff series at Crypto.Com Arena on Tuesday.
(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
The starting backcourt of Smart and Kennard, starting in place of Doncic and Reaves, had the kind of first-quarter scoring display Doncic is known for delivering.
Smart had 14 points in the first 12 minutes, shooting five for seven from the field and three for four from three-point range. Kennard had 10 points in the first, shooting four for six from the field and two for three from three-point range.
“Whether those guys are here or not, obviously we would love for them to be here,” said Smart, who played 35:29. “They elevate us to a whole other level, right? And we understand that. But they’re not and there’s nothing we can do about it but step our game up for those guys.”
During the regular season, Doncic, Reaves and James were the Big Three for the Lakers.
But James has two new mates to help the cause, and Smart and Kennard are holding it down.
It started in Game 1, when James, Smart and Kennard combined for 61 of the Lakers’ 107 points, 14 rebounds and 24 assists.
Houston forward Kevin Durant passes the ball under pressure from Lakers forward Rui Hachimura and center Jaxson Hayes Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena.
(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
“We know throughout the game we’re going to have the ball in our hands the most, us three,” said Kennard, who played 41:58. “Again, it’s just playing within the flow of the game when we can. Seeing what adjustments they made earlier in the game and just trying to find ways to beat it. I thought we did a good job of staying poised and under control overall. … But, like I said, us three, we know we’re going to have the ball the majority of the time when it comes down to it and we have to be aggressive and look for the right play each time.”
Etc.
When asked about a report saying Reaves has progressed to one-on-one court work and what Doncic is able to do, Lakers coach JJ Redick said, “Yeah, no update on the timeline for either of those guys.”
“Austin has started a return-to-play [plan,] but we don’t have any timeline update for him,” Redick added. “And then Luka I think is gonna start some court work here soon. But again, no update on timeline.”
Redick was asked if Reaves returning to play meant he is starting some support work.
“Yeah. But he, again, it’s an upper-body injury versus a lower-body injury, so it’s different things,” Redick said.
Redick was asked one last time what return-to-play progression looks like for Reaves.
Ousseni Bouda scored two goals in the second half, ending LAFC goalie Hugo Lloris’ scoreless run to begin the season at 593 minutes, and the San José Earthquakes stunned LAFC 4-1 on Sunday night in an early Western Conference showdown.
San José (7-1-0) moves into a first-place tie with the Vancouver Whitecaps in the Western Conference and Supporters’ Shield races in the Earthquakes’ second season under head coach Bruce Arena.
Daniel De Sousa Britto missed a chance to tie Lloris with a sixth clean sheet on an own goal by Reid Roberts in the 74th minute. He had three saves.
Bouda used assists from newcomer Timo Werner — his third — and Beau Leroux to find the net in the 53rd minute after a scoreless first half.
Werner, sidelined the last two weeks with a lower-body injury, took a pass from Leroux three minutes later and scored his first MLS goal for a 2-0 lead. Leroux’s assists gives him four, matching his total last season in 33 appearances as a rookie.
An own goal on Ryan Porteous in the 59th minute made it 3-0 in a span of six minutes.
Bouda’s fourth goal of the season capped the scoring in the 80th minute. Niko Tsakiris notched his career-high fifth assist.
Lloris finished with two saves in a second straight loss for LAFC (5-2-1), third in the West. Lloris sat out a 2-1 road loss to the Portland Timbers.
San José has won all four of its road matches.
LAFC was 6-0-1 at BMO Stadium in all competitions entering play, outscoring its opponents 17-1.
With star guard Luka Doncic back on the Lakers sideline but still out indefinitely, Luke Kennard did his best impression of the NBA’s leading scorer Saturday, catapulting the Lakers to a 107-98 win over the Houston Rockets to give the Lakers a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven first-round playoff series.
Kennard drained all five of his three-point attempts, including three in the fourth quarter. Threes while curling off screens or taking hand-offs from teammates are routine for the NBA’s leading three-point shooter. But Kennard may have surprised even himself when he drove against Houston’s Jabari Smith, U-turned, scampered back outside the three-point line and drained a three from the wing.
The Crypto.com Arena crowd that was buzzing from the opening tip to the final horn erupted. Kennard screamed.
“My word is speechless, to be honest,” center Deandre Ayton said of Kennard’s performance. “Seeing him five-for-five in a playoff game as a Laker. Yeah, it hits different.”
Lakers center Deandre Ayton, left, celebrates with guard Luke Kennard after hit a three-pointer against the Rockets during Game 1 of their first-round playoff series on Saturday at Crypto.com Arena.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
“To do it especially at a place like this, playing for the Lakers on the biggest stage in basketball, it means a lot to me,” Kennard said, “and what I’ve done and just credit to the work I’ve put in and how I prepared leading up to this.”
Since Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) were injured on April 2, Kennard has had to adjust his role to include more ball handling. He typified the Lakers’ adaptability with 32 assists in the last five games of the regular season after averaging 1.7 assists per game since joining the team. But he lamented that he wasn’t shooting to his standard.
Compared to his league-best 47.8%, his 30.8% shooting from three during the past five games felt like a slump.
Each shot, whether a make or miss, still helped Kennard develop a rhythm entering the playoffs, he said. Now if he sees even a sliver of daylight, he’ll be ready to shoot. It’s exactly what the Lakers want to see.
“I just liked that he was aggressive shooting threes,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “I mean, he played a fantastic basketball game.”
Kennard, who also had three assists and four rebounds, was nine for 13 from the field as the Lakers, who shot 60.6% as a team, shot 60% or better in a playoff game for the first time since the first round of the 2009 playoffs. Led by Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, the Lakers won their first of back-to-back titles that year.
All five of the Lakers starters scored in double figures. LeBron James had 19 points and 13 assists, and Ayton had 19 points and 11 rebounds while helping keep two-time All-Star Alperen Sengun to 19 points on inefficient six-for-19 shooting. The Rockets, who were without Kevin Durant because of a minor knee injury, shot 37.6% from the floor.
“Everybody played a big role tonight and I feel that just speaks to what we’ve been the last few weeks with guys out,” Kennard said. “It’s going to take everybody. We know that. We got to continue to elevate each other and push each other and continue to be a team.”
Doncic reunited with the team Saturday after he spent the past two weeks in Europe getting specialized treatment on his Grade 2 left hamstring strain. Dressed in a crisp white button up shirt and khaki pants, Doncic sat next to Reaves on the bench. They rose to their feet every time Kennard set up for a three. They handed out high fives at every time out.
The injuries to Doncic and Reaves turned the Lakers into the perceived sitting duck of the competitive Western Conference playoffs. Critics felt the team couldn’t survive one playoff round with the 41-year-old James as its sole offensive catalyst.
A welcoming cheer from Lakers fans during starting lineups serves as a reminder that James still has backup.
FRISCO, Texas — Lucas Sanabria and Joseph Paintsil scored late in the first half after Petar Musa scored twice to give Dallas the lead, helping the Galaxy rally for a 2-2 draw on Saturday night.
Musa scored unassisted in the seventh minute to give Dallas a quick lead and then used assists from Christian Cappis and Logan Farrington to give Dallas a two-goal advantage in the 38th minute with his league-leading ninth of the season.
It was the first assist for Cappis after collecting two in 11 appearances last season as a rookie. Farrington’s third assist gives him 15 in 69 career matches.
Sanabria used assists from Paintsil and Justin Haak to cut it to 2-1 in the 43rd minute and Paintsil used assists from Gabriel Pec and defender Mauricio Cuevas to tie it three minutes into stoppage time.
Sanabria netted his second goal after scoring twice in 21 matches as a rookie last season. A hamstring injury sidelined Paintsil, who has a goal and two assists in four matches. Pec has four assists but has yet to score.
Michael Collodi turned away three shots in goal for Dallas (3-1-4).
JT Marcinkowski had three saves for the Galaxy (2-3-3).
The Galaxy lead the all-time series 37-35-13 and are 9-26-8 in Frisco.
The FAA is considering bids to develop an artificial intelligence system that could help air traffic controllers predict and correct potential issues hours earlier than they currently can. File Photo by Caroline Brehman/EPA
April 18 (UPI) — The Federal Aviation Administration is working with three bidders to develop artificial intelligence software to help air traffic controllers manage flights across the nation’s airspace.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy discussed the effort during a media event on Friday, and said the goal is to help anticipate schedule conflicts and improve planning for bottlenecks at busy airports.
“This software, as they look at the flight paths, won’t see [potential issues] 15 minutes before it happens .. a controller will get a notice that they could change one of the airplane’s flight paths slightly and they can deconflict it an hour and a half or two hours before the conflict even happens,” Duffy said during a media event hosted by Semafor.
The program is aimed at fundamentally changing how airspace in the United States operates, The Air Current reported, and is a major part of the agency’s efforts at modernization and redesign.
The FAA has mounted an effort to see how AI can improve the functionality and safety of the country’s air traffic control systems, especially amid a growing shortage of controllers, at least partially because political debates that have hampered the agency’s funding.
The system that the FAA is looking to develop — called SMART, which stands for Strategic Management of Airspace Routing Trajectories — is part of a $32.5 billion modernization program that includes replacing hundreds of radars and growing its air controller staff, The Next Web reported.
Development of the new system, which follows a series of issues at airports across the country that have seen near-misses and actual crashes that have raised concerns among experts and travelers alike, is being bid on by the companies Palantir, Thales and Air Space Intelligence.
The system could begin to be operational some time later this year, with an update on progress expected from the Department of Transportation and FAA on April 21.
Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. speaks during a House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies hearing on the budget for the Department of Health and Human Services in the Rayburn House Office Building near the U.S. Capitol on Thursday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
Unmoved by postseason pressure, superstar LeBron James said he doesn’t plan to change his preparation ahead of the Lakers’ playoff opener against the Houston Rockets on Saturday. Approaching his record-tying 19th postseason appearance, James has reason to believe in his well-established routine.
“Nothing changes for me from the regular season to the postseason,” James said, “besides just making even more heightened focus.”
The consistent approach that guided him through 23 regular seasons puts James in position to star in another high-stakes game as the Lakers (53-29) chase the franchise’s 18th NBA championship. James will command almost the entire spotlight with guards Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves still sidelined.
The 41-year-old, 22-time All-Star has never had a problem with being a leading man.
“I think a lot of the great players, the best players, what they’re addicted to is being the showman,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said, referencing Stephen Curry’s fourth-quarter heroics that pushed the Golden State Warriors over the Clippers in a thrilling play-in game Wednesday night. “And being on the stage and giving a performance. …
“One of the reasons they’re great and they’re able to be the showman so consistently is because they recognize [that] to be the showman, I have to do all the things necessary to then go on stage and perform at my best. And that’s the commitment with LeBron that I’ve talked about so often.”
The stage is set for a star-studded first-round series with James and Houston’s Kevin Durant. The Rockets’ superstar rose to fifth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list this season. He and James, the league’s all-time leading scorer, have 76,037 combined regular-season points, more than the rest of the Lakers’ roster combined (57,341).
“He’s the head of the snake,” James said of Durant. “But it’s the Houston Rockets and they have some damned good players on that team.”
Durant has the support of two-time NBA All-Star center Alperen Sengun, who is averaging 20.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game. James leads the Lakers alone. They’re without Doncic (hamstring) and Reaves (oblique) indefinitely.
Since Doncic and Reaves were injured, James assumed the primary role in the Lakers’ offense and has delivered 25.5 points, 11 assists and 6.8 rebounds per game. Battling the emotional toll of Doncic’s and Reaves’ injuries, James set the tone for the Lakers’ strong finish to the regular season with his vocal leadership and strong play, Redick said. His teammates are falling in line.
“He’s been in the playoffs I don’t know how many times,” Lakers guard Bronny James said. “So he’s won series, won Finals, I think we just need to have our mind open and ears open and listen to whatever he says because he knows the most.”
Lakers star LeBron James and coach JJ Redick discuss strategy during a game against the Clippers this season.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
After years of competing against each other in the NBA and with each other on the international stage, Durant said earlier this season that the Miami Heat version of James was the hardest player he’s ever had to guard. James said every version of Durant feels like an impossible matchup.
The 37-year-old scores in bunches and does it efficiently, Redick said. Durant hasn’t shot worse than 50% from the field in a season since 2011-12. Now in his 18th season, Durant played the second-most total minutes of any player this season, trailing only 23-year-old teammate Amen Thompson.
“He’s a guard in a big man’s body,” Lakers guard Marcus Smart said. “I’m 6-3 and he’s 7-foot so he has that advantage and that’s what makes it tough, because he’ll shoot right over top of you it seems. But playing him the years that I have played him — and last month — it definitely gives you insight of what to expect.”
Durant averaged 18 points, 5.5 rebounds and three assists in two losses to the Lakers in March. He shot 55.6% from the field but had 11 total turnovers. The Lakers, who often double-teamed Durant to take the ball out of his hands, forced 36 turnovers in the two wins.
The Lakers expect the same defensive pressure from the Rockets, who are ranked sixth defensively. Guards Reed Sheppard and Thompson both rank in the top 10 in the league in total steals with 122 and 119, respectively.
Smart and guard Luke Kennard have taken larger ball-handling responsibilities along with James to offset the loss of Doncic and Reaves. Bronny James is in line for rotation minutes in the Lakers’ shorthanded backcourt. The 21-year-old guard has played in 10 consecutive games, the longest stretch of his young NBA career, averaging 6.6 points, two assists and a steal with seven-for-17 shooting from three-point range in the five games since Doncic and Reaves were injured.
Getting to share the court with his son, whether in regular-season games, practice or now the postseason, is “the best thing that’s ever happened to me in my career,” the elder James said.
With his future unknown beyond this season, James pledged all season to stay in the moment. The Lakers hope to make this postseason one last.
“The moment is all we have,” James said. “At the end of the day, that’s all that matters.”
Jake DeBrusk scored his second goal of the game in overtime and the Vancouver Canucks beat the Kings 4-3 on Tuesday night.
DeBrusk collected a pass from center Elias Pettersson and tapped a shot in to seal the victory 2:58 into the extra period.
Defenseman Elias Pettersson opened the scoring for the Canucks, and DeBrusk and Zeev Buium added goals in the second period. Elias Pettersson had two assists. The Canucks won their third straight game for the first time since Dec. 14-20, when they took four straight road victories.
Kevin Lankinen stopped 31 of the 34 shots he faced as Vancouver improved to 9-27-5 on home ice this season.
Quinton Byfield and Alex Laferriere each had a goal and an assist for the Kings. Adrian Kempe scored his 36th of the season and Darcy Kuemper made 21 saves.
DeBrusk scored for a third straight game. His three goals across the stretch came on the power play. The 29-year-old winger has scored 19 of his 23 goals with the man advantage this season.
Anze Kopitar played his final game at Rogers Arena and registered an assist on Kempe’s second-period goal. He has 864 assists, all with L.A. That ranks third among active players with a single franchise, trailing only the Penguins’ Evgeni Malkin (874) and Sidney Crosby (1,107).
The Kings have secured a playoff berth and remain in the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot with one game remaining.
The Kings had their five-game winning streak halted, but they did earn a point for the eighth straight game (6-0-2).
