Fans celebrated across Algiers after USM Alger beat Zamalek 8-7 on penalties in Cairo, claiming their second CAF Confederation Cup after a 1-1 aggregate draw. The Algerian club first won the trophy in 2023.
Published On 17 May 202617 May 2026
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The Dodgers opened MLB rivalry weekend with a blast — three to be exact — in a 6-0 win over the Angels on Friday at Angel Stadium.
The Dodgers also achieved something last year’s World Series-winning team couldn’t — they beat the Angels. The Angels had won seven consecutive games against the Dodgers, the franchise’s longest winning streak against its crosstown rival.
“Couldn’t beat these guys last year, couldn’t beat the Brewers last year [in the regular season],” manager Dave Roberts said with a large smile. “So it was nice to beat these guys.”
What changed? The Dodgers’ offense took command. They lit up Angels starter Jack Kochanowicz’s fastball. Andy Pages hit a three-run home run and Max Muncy hit his 12th homer of the season on the next at-bat to break a scoreless game in the fourth inning. Both home runs came off four-seamers Kochanowicz left too far over the center of the plate.
Roberts praised Pages’ ability to recover from slumps and not dwell too much on being uncomfortable.
“A young player, when it starts to go south, you can’t stop it,” Roberts said. “The 0-4 turns into a one for 20 pretty quickly. That’s what happened last year at the end of the year. Now, he had a little swoon and found a way to let it be, take walks or get a hit here to there to do some damage control until you get back to swinging long.”
During Pages’ at-bat, a pitch ricocheted off Angels catcher Logan O’Hoppe’s left hand. Playing in his first game since returning from the injured list, O’Hoppe stayed in the game despite appearing to be in pain. He left in the sixth because of irritation in his left wrist — the same wrist he fractured on April 25.
In the sixth, Teoscar Hernández tacked on two more runs with an opposite-field home run after an errant sinker from Kochanowicz. The 33-year-old wore a big smile after he crossed home and was showered in sunflower seeds.
“Just getting the confidence back there,” Hernández said. “Getting better pitches to hit, hitting the ball harder, getting on base, taking a lot more walks, just do[ing] the positive things for the team.”
Hernández had gone 23 days without a home run, and had been moved down in the lineup. The left fielder said he wasn’t bothered by the change, though he joked about Pages taking his place as the sunflower seed shower manager.
“It’s getting better,” Hernández laughed. “He’s going to have my job when I’m not here.”
Dodgers pitcher Will Klein delivers during the first inning against the Angels at Angel Stadium on Friday.
(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
Shohei Ohtani also put together good at-bats. He walked and had a double, but he also struck out twice.
Freddie Freeman was notably absent. Roberts texted Freeman a couple nights ago and told him he would give him Friday off. Freeman, ever the competitor, tried to get Roberts to reconsider, but the Dodgers manager held firm.
Freeman is expected to return to the lineup Saturday with Kyle Tucker taking the day off.
“Tucker’s been trending for a while, Will’s been consistent, I think Teo’s on the way back too,” Roberts said. “We got a lot of guys that are swinging well, and to get Freddie off his feet tonight, I think it was a good thing in the midst of 13 in a row.”
The Dodgers (27-18) didn’t need Freeman with the way their bullpen was pitching. Will Klein opened after Blake Snell was placed on the injured list because of loose bodies in his left elbow. The Dodgers recalled left-hander Charlie Barnes to take Snell’s place on the active roster.
The quick pivot didn’t affect the Dodgers much. The team relied on eight pitchers — Klein, Edgardo Henriquez, Blake Treinen, Wyatt Mills, Kyle Hurt, Alex Vesia, Jack Dreyer and Barnes — to hold the Angels to two hits. No one ate up more innings than Klein, who struck out two and surrendered one hit across two innings. They also kept Tanner Scott fresh in case he’s needed Saturday.
“The only guy that went multiples was Klein, but, again, coming out of tonight the offensive run production allowed us to do that and give us a little coverage,” Roberts said.
The Dodgers now have a chance to do something last year’s team couldn’t: win a series against the Angels (16-29).
Stephon Castle starred as the San Antonio Spurs sealed their spot in the Western Conference finals with a convincing 139-109 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Castle led the way with 32 points, while Victor Wembanyama added 19, as the Spurs clinched the series 4-2 to set up a heavyweight match-up against the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Spurs met the Thunder – the reigning NBA champions – five times during the regular season and finished with a 4-1 record against them.
Repeating that over the seven-game Western finals would earn the Spurs a spot in the NBA finals.
“We’re not even thinking about that right now,” Castle said after Friday’s victory over the Timberwolves.
“The games ahead are a totally different game. They are rolling right now. They’ve won eight straight.
“It’s going to be tough to knock them off, but we’re pretty confident we can do it.”
Elsewhere, the Detroit Pistons beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-94 to tie their series and set up a deciding game seven .
Cade Cunningham scored 21 points, while Paul Reed and Jalen Duren added 17 and 15 respectively, as the top-seeded Pistons forced a decider for the second play-off round in a row.
Detroit had trailed 3-1 to Orlando Magic in the previous round before reeling off three straight wins to take the series 4-3.
The Pistons host the Cavaliers in Detroit on Sunday to decide who will face the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals.
From Maddie Lee: Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman thought it was the truth when he said it.
After the Dodgers won the World Series last year, riding extreme highs and lows in an all-time nail-biter of a seven-game set, he remembers telling his wife, Robin, that a second consecutive championship, after a roller coaster of a season, should at least alleviate some of his stress during games the following April and May.
“I should have already gotten it before, but now I really get it,” he told The Times on Tuesday, recounting his declaration from last fall. “So now I’m going to be able to have some perspective.”
Robin didn’t believe him.
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“She was right,” Friedman said before the Dodgers’ 6-2 loss to the Giants on Tuesday.
A penchant for worrying often serves those in Friedman’s position well. Anticipating worst-case scenarios is the first step to protecting against them. The quality, however, doesn’t make for a pleasant viewing experience, especially during lulls in the season like the one the Dodgers are currently battling through.
The loss Tuesday extended their skid to four games, keeping the Dodgers (24-18) pinned behind the Padres (24-17) in the division standings.
MORE BASEBALL:
Shaikin: Mark Walter says the Dodgers can’t win all the time. Even Magic Johnson agrees
Dodgers tout outfielder Alek Thomas’ upside after acquiring him from the Diamondbacks
Angels extend their futility on the road against Guardians | Angels-Guardians box score
The Golden Knights’ Pavel Dorofeyev celebrates after scoring past the Ducks’ Lukas Dostal during overtime of Game 5 Tuesday.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
From Kevin Baxter: The Ducks are a loss away from summer after Pavel Dorofeyev scored 4:10 into overtime, giving the Vegas Golden Knights a 3-2 victory in Game 5 of the teams’ second-round playoff series Tuesday. Dorofeyev, who also scored on a power play in the first period, batted a Jack Eichel pass just inside the left post to end the longest game of the series.
With the win, Vegas leads the best-of-seven series three games to two heading into Game 6 on Thursday in Anaheim, where the Ducks’ season could end.
“We’ve come back a lot all year. Obviously it’s different in a series perspective but a lot of guys are just excited to play already. We just want, we want to, want to get back out there already,” winger Mason McTavish said. “I’m kind of excited to see what everybody’s going to bring. We’ve got a lot of confidence.”
Ducks-Golden Knights box score
Lakers coach JJ Redick, right, and general manager Rob Pelinka answer questions from the media.
(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: The Lakers’ roster isn’t the only thing getting restructured this offseason.
In the first offseason under Mark Walter’s ownership, the Lakers will undergo several changes in their front office and with the organization’s infrastructure while trying to keep pace in the ever-evolving NBA.
The Lakers plan to hire two assistant general managers, Rob Pelinka, the team’s president of basketball operations and general manager, said in a season-ending news conference Tuesday after the Lakers were swept out of the Western Conference semifinals by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
One position will focus on pro scouting, draft scouting and player development while the other will specialize in analytics, data and the salary cap. The organization has already begun interviews, Pelinka said.
“It’s not that we’ve had holes in those places,” Pelinka said. “We got a great team of people that works incredibly hard. It’s just we want to add more to that.”
Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo walks off the court after a game against the Nets on April 10.
(Jeffrey Phelps / Associated Press)
From Mirjam Swanson: I get it, you’re still thinking about the Lakers getting swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round of the playoffs.
It was a valiant fight to the end, Monday’s season-ending 115-110 loss. A thriller for naught.
But now we’ve finally reached the big, beautiful offseason the Lakers have been teasing for months. This pivotal moment that’s had them hoarding assets and fencing off their financial flexibility. All but paralyzed by possibility.
Even after jogging in place all this time, they’ve finally caught up with the can they kicked down the road: All indications are that the Milwaukee Bucks’ superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo is about to hit the trade market.
And the Lakers — loaded with trade ammunition and cap space and forever wishing on star players — are going to be expected to make a play.
But they should run a different play.
MORE NBA:
Lakers want LeBron James and Austin Reaves to return next season
Resiliency and re-signings: What’s next for the Lakers after getting swept by OKC?
Brandon Clarke, Memphis Grizzlies forward and former first-round pick, dies at age 29
UCLA coach Cori Close lifts the WBCA national championship trophy while surrounded by her players.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
From Marisa Ingemi: UCLA women’s basketball coach Cori Close isn’t going anywhere.
UCLA announced on Tuesday that Close signed a contract extension through the 2029-30 season after she led the Bruins to their first NCAA national championship.
“I am so grateful to Chancellor [Julio] Frenk and [athletic director] Martin Jarmond for the opportunity to continue teaching and mentoring the young women who choose UCLA,” Close said in a news release. “I love being here in Westwood, and I am so excited for what the future holds. I hope we can continue to make our Bruin faithful proud.”
Second round
All times Pacific
Game 1: at Vegas 3, Ducks 1 (summary)
Game 2: Ducks 3, at Vegas 1 (summary)
Game 3: Vegas 6, at Ducks 2 (summary)
Game 4: at Ducks 4, Vegas 3 (summary)
Game 5: at Vegas 3, Ducks 2 OT (summary)
Game 6: Thursday at Ducks, 6:30 p.m., TNT, truTV, HBO MAX
Game 7*: at Vegas, TBA, ABC or ESPN
*-if necessary
1891 — Isaac Murphy wins his second straight Kentucky Derby aboard Kingman. In the stretch, Kingman comes from last in the four-horse field to beat Balgownan by one-half length.
1905 — World heavyweight boxing champion James J. Jeffries retires undefeated after 7 title defences; returns in 1910 to be beaten by Jack Johnson.
1950 — First ever race of the Formula 1 World Drivers Championship is run at Silverstone, England and won by Giuseppe Farina of italy in an Alfa Romeo.
1952 — In an Appalachian League game, Ron Necciai of the Bristol Twins strikes out 27 batters while pitching a 7-0 no-hitter against the Welch Miners.
1958 — Stan Musial gets his 3,000th hit with a pinch-double off Chicago’s Moe Drabowsky at Wrigley Field. The Cardinals win 5-3.
1962 — LPGA Western Open Women’s Golf, Montgomery CC: Mickey Wright wins on the 4th hole of a sudden-death playoff with Mary Lena Faulk.
1976 — The New York Nets overcome a 22-point third-quarter deficit to beat the Denver Nuggets 112-106 and win the last ABA championship in six games.
1989 — Trinidad & Tobago ties US 1-1, in 3rd round of 1990 world soccer cup.
1992 — The Pittsburgh Penguins beat the New York Rangers 5-1 to eliminate the Patrick Division champions in six games and advance to the Prince of Wales Conference finals. It is the first time all four division winners are eliminated in the same round. The Norris Division champion Detroit Red Wings were swept by the Chicago Blackhawks in four straight games, and the Montreal Canadiens, who had won the Adams Division, lost in four games to the Boston Bruins. The Vancouver Canucks, the Smythe Division champions lost to the Edmonton Oilers in six games.
1993 — KC Royal George Brett hits his 300th HR.
1995 — Team New Zealand’s Black Magic 1 completes a 5-0 sweep in the America’s Cup, beating Dennis Conner’s borrowed boat Young America by 1 minute, 50 seconds.
1998 — Chelsea of England win 38th European Cup Winner’s Cup against Stuttgart of Germany 1-0 in Stockholm.
2005 — Tiger Woods misses the cut at the Byron Nelson Championship to end his record of 142 consecutive cuts made over the last seven years on the PGA Tour. Needing a par on the 18th hole at Cottonwood Valley, Woods misses a 15-foot putt. He taps in for a bogey and a 2-over 72, leaving him at 1 over for the tournament.
2006 — English FA Cup Final, Millennium Stadium, Cardiff (71,140): Liverpool beats West Ham United, 3-1 on penalties after 3–3 (a.e.t.); Reds 7th title.
2007 — Canada wins hockey’s world championship with a 4-2 victory over Finland. Rick Nash leads the way with two goals as Canada captures its’ 24th world title and first since 2004.
2007 — Rafael Nadal becomes the first player to win the Rome Masters three consecutive times by beating Fernando Gonzalez of Chile 6-2, 6-2. The victory extends his winning streak on clay to 77 matches. By reaching the final, the Spaniard broke John McEnroe’s record for most consecutive victories (75) on one surface.
2007 — At 16 years, 65 days Matthew Briggs debuts for Fulham in a 3-1 defeat at Middlesbrough; youngest player to appear in an English Premier League match.
2007 — PGA Players Championship, TPC at Sawgrass: American Phil Mickelson wins by 2 strokes ahead of runner-up Sergio García of Spain; event played in May for the first time.
2012 — Manchester City wins the English title for the first time in 44 years, surging past Queens Park Rangers 3-2 with Sergio Aguero scoring his team’s second goal late in injury time. Aguero scores during the fourth minute of injury time, two minutes after substitute Edin Dzeko made it 2-2. The winning goal snatches the trophy from defending champion Manchester United on goal difference.
2012 — PGA Players Championship, TPC at Sawgrass: Matt Kuchar wins by 2 strokes ahead of Ricky Fowler, Zach Johnson, Martin Laird and Ben Curtis.
2014 — Henrik Lundqvist sets an NHL record with his fifth straight Game 7 victory. He made 35 saves to lift the New York Rangers to a 2-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins and earn a spot in the Eastern Conference finals. Brian Boyle and Brad Richards score for New York, who rally from a 3-1 series deficit for the first time in the franchise’s 88-year history.
2015 — Derek Stepan scores 11:24 in overtime, lifting the New York Rangers past the Washington Capitals 2-1 and into the Eastern Conference finals. Stepan’s wrist shot from the left wing caps a comeback from a 3-1 deficit in the series. The Rangers become the only team to manage that in successive years, doing the same thing to Pittsburgh in the second round in 2014.
2018 — Liverpool’s Egyptian soccer forward Mohamed Salah scores in a 4-0 win against Brighton to set the EPL goal scoring record (32) for a 38-game season.
2018 — PGA Players Championship, TPC at Sawgrass: American Webb Simpson wins by 4 strokes from Xander Schauffele, Charl Schwartzel and Jimmy Walker.
2019 — The Tradition Senior Men’s Golf, Greystone G &CC: Steve Stricker wins his first career major title by 6 strokes ahead of Billy Andrade, Paul Goydos & David Toms.
Compiled by the Associated Press.
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. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
Watch highlights as Barcelona beat Real Madrid in El Clasico to secure back-to-back La Liga titles.
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Barcelona clinched their 29th La Liga title with a 2-0 El Clasico victory over bitter rivals Real Madrid, opening an unassailable 14-point lead at the top of the table with three games remaining.
Marcus Rashford and Ferran Torres struck in the first half on Sunday to help Hansi Flick’s side clinch La Liga in consecutive years, while consigning Madrid to a trophy-less season.
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This was only the second time the outcome of La Liga has been decided directly by the result of a Clasico, with record 36-time champions Real Madrid winning their first title in 1932 after a draw with Barca.
Flick’s team were disappointed to be knocked out in the Champions League quarterfinals by Atletico Madrid in April, but still determined to celebrate in style.
“This title is more special for winning it at home against Madrid. Now we have to enjoy it with the fans,” Barca midfielder Frenkie de Jong told Movistar.
“We have been the best team in Spain. Of course, we [also] want to win the Champions League – that’s the objective.
“Next year, we will have another opportunity.”
Madrid arrived at the match embroiled in chaos after midfielder Fede Valverde was ruled out with a head injury following a training ground scuffle with teammate Aurelien Tchouameni, who started.
Barca coach Flick also received bad news before the game, with his father passing away, but he still took his place on the touchline to oversee his side’s comfortable triumph.
The German opted for the energetic Rashford, on loan from Manchester United, on the right wing in place of the injured teenage star Lamine Yamal.
The Catalans, who only needed to avoid defeat, came out with their eyes firmly locked on the prize, racing into a two-goal lead inside 18 minutes.
Rashford opened the scoring with a superb free kick, whipping the ball into the top left corner from 20 yards out, right of centre.
Torres doubled the hosts’ advantage at a jubilant Camp Nou, the 62,000-strong crowd enjoying the first Clasico back there since the stadium was reopened.
Dani Olmo produced a clever backheel to allow Torres to burst into the box and ram past Thibaut Courtois.
Gonzalo Garcia, playing in place of injured Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe, prodded narrowly wide after racing in behind Barca’s high defensive line.
Urged on by coach Alvaro Arbeloa on the touchline, unlikely to be at the helm next season, Madrid battled to stem the bleeding.
Rashford could have added a third before the break but fired wide, with Fermin Lopez unmarked and well placed to finish.
Torres should have struck early in the second half but Courtois saved from the Spain international as he ran through.
Jude Bellingham put the ball in Barcelona’s net but the goal was ruled out for offside, while Joan Garcia thwarted Vinicius Junior as Madrid threatened.
Barca fans batted inflatable beach balls around to taunt the Brazilian over his unfulfilled Ballon d’Or ambitions, and lapped up the party atmosphere.
Courtois saved from substitutes Raphinha, back after injury, and Robert Lewandowski as Madrid saw out the remainder of the match without taking further damage.
Flick’s side remain on course to match the record of 100 points in a league season and can win all their home matches if they defeat Real Betis in the one remaining.
Barcelona’s boss told La Liga TV that he “will never forget this day” following the match.
“It was a tough day for me to start – my father passed away. But my team is fantastic. It is like a family,” Flick said.
“They gave everything today. I am proud of the fans. It is amazing [to win] in this stadium and in an El Clasico against Real Madrid to win La Liga.
“It was not easy. Everyone thought we could win this, but Real is a fantastic team. We played really good and made the goals in the right moment.”
Meanwhile Madrid finish a second consecutive season without a major trophy, staring down the barrel of a summer reshuffle, including former coach Jose Mourinho being linked with a potential return.
Arbeloa congratulated Barcelona and said his side would “learn from what happened this season and work even harder” in comments to the media after the game.
“I feel a greater responsibility now, knowing that our season ended today. The one thing we can’t do is give up, absolutely not,” he said.
“There are three matches left that we must go out and win. Here, we’re defending something much bigger than all of us and much bigger than our personal pride; it’s the Real Madrid crest and millions of fans.”
Aoife Wafer scores twice as Ireland beat Wales 33-12 at home to record their second win of the 2026 Women’s Six Nations.
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MUSIC fans were divided after Oli Sykes slammed them for leaving his band’s gig early.
Oli, 39, fronts the massive band Bring Me The Horizon and went on the rant at their recent gig in Nashville, USA.
Kneeling on the stage wearing a large cowboy hat with a pink feather hem, Oli angrily pointed in the direction of the crowd in a video posted to TikTok by user @professionalconcertgoer.
“Now I start seeing t***s leaving early to beat the traffic… I can see one there, that c***t and he’s a VIP one too,” Oli said looking into the audience.
“Why did you pay all that money for?”
Fans of the band explained their reasons for needing to leave gigs before they finished and also slammed Oli’s attitude.
“I always think it’s wild when artists talk about the fans that lined their pockets like this. I thought better of Oli,” wrote one person in the comment section of the TikTok.
Another added: “Oli my brother in Christ the last bus / train home is like 10:45 we have to leave early or we’re sleeping on the street.”
But a third commented: “I’ll never understand why people leave early. I’ve done it a couple of times and have regretted it every time.”
While a fourth posted: “He said this in toronto too, i felt bad but he’s gotta take it up with go transit 😭 if i miss my train i’m stranded in the city, i don’t have money or a credit card to get a hotel for the night.”
Bring Me The Horizon formed in 2004 and have released six studio albums.
They have been nominated for two Grammys and this year won a Brit for Best Rock/Alternative Act. They’ve also scooped seven Kerrang! gongs in a career that dates back 20 years.
There was no greater sign of a mainstream breakthrough than when they collaborated with Ed Sheeran for a souped-up version of his hit Bad Habits at the Brit Awards in 2022.
Adding rocky riffs and synths to the catchy pop tune, the heavier element clearly thrilled Ed who performed the collab with a big grin.
Last year, Oli officialy became a dad after his Brazilian model wife Victoria Alissa Salles Silva announced she had given birth to twins.
In an Instagram post, she shared an image of the tots – writing, “amor infinito,” which translates to “infinite love”, adding, “grey & zélia.”
Netball Super League leaders Loughborough Lightning returned to winning ways with a hard-fought 76-60 victory over Birmingham Panthers on Friday.
Lightning, whose 100% record was ended by defending champions London Pulse last weekend, are now four points clear of second-placed Pulse at the top of the NSL table.
Pulse take on Manchester Thunder, who are six points behind Lightning in third place, on Saturday.
Bottom side Panthers made a quick start to Friday’s game, leading at the end of the first two quarters to take a two-point advantage into half-time.
But Lightning hit back after the break and were four goals ahead at the start of the fourth quarter, before sealing victory with a dominant display in the final 15 minutes of the round 11 match.
Mike Trout, Jorge Soler and Zach Neto hit home runs, Ryan Zeferjahn worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth inning and the Angels held on for a 4-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night.
Zeferjahn hit a batter and walked two in the ninth before retiring Edgar Quero on a groundout for his first save this season and his third in 10 career opportunities. The right-hander struck out rookie home run leader Munetaka Murakami — tied with the Yankees’ Aaron Judge at 14 — with a runner on first to get the final out in the eighth.
Trout hit his 11th homer of the season and the 415th of his career with one out in the first off Erick Fedde (0-4) after Chicago scored two runs off Sam Aldegheri in the top half.
Soler followed with his eighth homer one out later to tie it 2-2.
Neto homered for the first time since April 10, a tiebreaking two-out shot in the fifth for his sixth of the season. Trout walked for the second time before scoring from first on a double by Nolan Schanuel to make it 4-2 and chase Fedde. Trout reached base four times with a single in the eighth.
Neto ended an 0-for-23 slump with a third-inning single before getting picked off.
Chase Meidroth hit his second homer leading off the seventh against Sam Bachman to get Chicago within 4-3. Both Colson Montgomery and Miguel Vargas extended their on-base streaks to 18 games for the Sox.
José Fermin (1-1) pitched a scoreless fifth for the win. Aldegheri gave up two runs on four hits in four innings in his sixth career start.
Fedde yielded four runs on six hits in 4 2/3 innings.
The top four hitters in the Angels’ lineup drove in a run for the first time since June 18, 2021, against the Tigers.
Bukayo Saka seals a 1-0 win for Arsenal as they take their Champions League semifinal 2-1 on aggregate against Atletico.
Published On 5 May 20265 May 2026
Arsenal has reached the Champions League final for the first time in 20 years as Bukayo Saka sealed a 1-0 win against Atletico Madrid.
Mikel Arteta’s side settled the semifinal second leg with Saka’s strike late in the first half at an ecstatic Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.
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The Gunners, who drew 1-1 in the first leg in Madrid last week, held firm after Saka’s goal to go through 2-1 on aggregate.
Arsenal will face Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich in the final in Budapest on May 30.
Holders PSG, who beat Arsenal in the semifinals last year, have a 5-4 lead ahead of the second leg in Munich on Wednesday.
It was a cathartic night for Arsenal, who are back in the Champions League final for the first time since losing 2-1 to Barcelona in their only previous appearance in the showpiece in 2006.
Arsenal have never won the Champions League, with their two major European trophies coming in the 1994 Cup Winners’ Cup and the 1970 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.
Their last continental final ended in a 4-1 defeat against Chelsea in the 2019 Europa League.
It is shaping up to be Arsenal’s greatest ever season as they chase a Premier League and Champions League double.
Even Arsene Wenger’s “Invincibles”, who won the club’s last English title in an unbeaten top-flight campaign in 2004, might have to bow to the current generation if they finish the job.
Fittingly, it was Saka, the homegrown symbol of the Arteta era, who proved Arsenal’s match-winner.
Now just four games from immortality, Premier League leaders Arsenal were given a huge boost in the title race when second-placed Manchester City drew at Everton on Monday.
The Gunners will be crowned champions if they win their last three games against West Ham United, Burnley and Crystal Palace.
Once the title is decided, Arsenal will head to Hungary with a maiden Champions League crown in their sights.
Arsenal endured jibes about their perceived lack of mental strength after a run of four defeats in six games, in all competitions, sparked painful memories of previous failures to end their six-year wait for silverware.
But the “nearly-men” and “serial choker” labels applied only weeks ago are on the verge of being banished forever.
Thousands of Arsenal supporters massed outside the stadium before kickoff to greet their team with flares and flags, a vociferous display of affection underlining Arsenal’s desperation to make history.
It was the kind of evening in north London when nothing was beyond the realm of possibility as Arsenal moved closer to casting off the shackles of two decades of underachievement.
After some tense performances during the Premier League run-in, Saturday’s 3-0 rout of Fulham showed Arsenal at their flowing best, a riposte to the critics who claim they only win ugly.
This was a more prosaic display, but no one with an affinity for Arsenal was bothered in the slightest.
Arsenal were nearly caught on the counter in a frenetic start when Julian Alvarez shot just wide before Giuliano Simeone’s close-range effort deflected past the post.
But Arsenal recovered from those anxious moments to deliver a dominant spell, which brought their 44th-minute goal.
Viktor Gyokeres’s clever run unhinged the Atletico defence, and his cross reached Leandro Trossard inside the area.
Trossard wriggled into just enough space for a low drive that Jan Oblak weakly pushed out to Saka, who reacted quicker than his flat-footed markers to slot home from 4 yards (3.7 metres).
Arteta jubilantly punched the air as the Emirates erupted into a roiling red sea of celebration.
Atletico tried to ruin the party in the second half, but Gabriel Magalhaes made a last-ditch tackle on Simeone to avert a certain goal before David Raya repelled Antoine Griezmann’s blast.
Arteta recently revealed that he had visualised Arsenal conquering the Champions League, even in the difficult early days of his reign.
The Spaniard is now just one win away from seeing the daydream become a glorious reality.
HOUSTON — It was the perfect time for Shohei Ohtani to step up to the plate. The Dodgers’ offense was rolling again, ready to make a statement with a third-inning rally against the Astros. They loaded the bases and turned over the batting order.
Then Ohtani chased a sinker off the plate and chopped a slow bouncer to Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes, giving him an easy play at second. A far departure from the eye-popping exit velocities that Ohtani’s swing usually produces, the run-scoring grounder was soft enough to avoid a double play.
In the Dodgers’ 8-3 win Monday against the Astros, Ohtani’s hitless streak stretched to five games, his longest such skid since 2022, when he also went five games without a hit (May 24-28).
“I do feel like over the course of my career it’s just a reality that I’m not exactly hitting at the best of my ability at this time of year,” Ohtani said last week through interpreter Will Ireton. “At the same time, as a player, I do want to be better and get to that position where I’m feeling really good. It’s a balancing act of the two.”
The rest of the Dodgers’ offense finally broke out on Monday, against a snakebitten Astros pitching staff.
Alex Freeland ended the Dodgers’ homerless streak at six games with an opposite-field shot into the Crawford boxes in the second inning. Leading off the third, Kyle Tucker hit a solo home run of his own, giving the Dodgers their first multi-homer game in two weeks.
Seven Dodgers combined for 13 hits, with Freeland and Will Smith leading the pack with three apiece. Tucker and Freddie Freeman each contributed a pair of RBIs.
The offensive surge just didn’t extend to Ohtani.
Kyle Tucker hits a solo home run for the Dodgers in the third inning against the Astros on Monday.
(Tim Warner / Getty Images)
In contrast to his offensive struggles, Ohtani has been dominant on the mound. He earned a pitcher of the month award for the first time in his career Monday after recording a 0.60 ERA in five starts in March and April.
Unhappy with just one-sided success, however, Ohtani shook up his routine with early on-field batting practice Monday.
“Most of the times when he does this, it works,” manager Dave Roberts said.
Ohtani took on-field batting practice before Game 3 of the 2025 NL Championship Series and then hit three home runs in Game 4. He usually prefers the batting cages for his pregame BP. But Monday marked the second time this season that he moved his session to the field.
“If you hit a ball down the line the other way in the cage, it kind of looks like it’s a foul ball,” hitting coach Aaron Bates said. “Whereas on the field you can see it’s fair, you can kind of see the spin of the ball a little better. It just kind of changes up the environment a little bit. The depth perception, too, helps a lot.”
Hitting the ball the other way was one of Ohtani’s goals.
Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivers during the first inning Monday against the Astros.
(Ashley Landis / Associated Press)
Amid his slow offensive start, Ohtani’s swing has become pull-happy. He’s been hitting the ball to the right side at 53.4% entering Monday, compared to 43.2% last season, according to Statcast.
“It’s more about timing and feel for him, backing up the baseball,” Bates said. “When he gathers correctly and hits through the baseball, obviously we’ve seen what he’s capable of doing. But just kind of managing his at-bats right now, trying to get to the big part of the park.”
For the first time since 2023, Ohtani is also balancing a full starting pitcher’s workload with his offensive responsibilities.
“It is easier to maintain something good when things are going well,” Ohtani said. “But when things are not going well, it’s not easy, in the sense that I have to make sure that I’m healthy and not overdoing it in terms of repetition. So while I’m working on certain things, it’s also a balancing act of making sure I’m not overdoing it physically and making sure that I’m healthy.”
No matter what, it’s going to take a greater physical toll. Case in point: after hitting on the field Monday, Ohtani also threw a bullpen session.
The Dodgers have tried to help him manage his workload by giving him days off from hitting on some of his pitching days. Those pitching-only days weren’t a regular occurrence when Ohtani was with the Angels, but now Ohtani is also preparing for what’s expected to be a deep postseason run.
The Dodgers have given Ohtani two pitching-only days already this season, but Roberts said he plans to have Ohtani hit when he pitches against the Astros on Tuesday.
“It’s doable,” Roberts said when asked about Ohtani trying to fix his swing while pitching. “The bottom line is, there’s no other alternative. He’s going to DH a lot. He’s going to pitch a lot. Now, how best we preserve him and keep him strong and healthy is the question.”
Ohtani’s search for his usual offensive production will continue at least another day. He drew two walks Monday. And the best contact he made was on a fly out to center field (91.2 mph exit velocity) in the seventh inning.
LeBron James scored 28 points as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Houston Rockets to set up a Western Conference semi-final play-off against reigning NBA champions Oklahoma City Thunder.
James also added seven rebounds and eight assists to help the Lakers to a 98-78 victory, which secured a 4-2 series win against the Rockets.
The Lakers had led the series 3-0 and finally closed out the best-of-seven contest in convincing style away at Houston, whose top scorer was Amen Thompson with 18 points.
“A lot of our guys, quite frankly, have not been in this position, have not been in a close-out situation, especially on the road, so it was important for me to go out and set the tone,” said 41-year-old James.
Lakers coach JJ Redick was full of admiration for the performance of James, who is the first player to take part in 23 consecutive NBA seasons and is also the league’s record points scorer.
“To me, he’s had the greatest career of any NBA player,” said Redick. “You can argue all you want; I don’t care to postulate on who’s the greatest of all time.
“He’s one of, if not the greatest of all time, and for him to do it again and answer the bell again, it’s baffling in some ways.”
The Lakers face a tough task against the Thunder, who finished top of the Western Conference and secured a 4-0 series win against the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the NBA play-offs.
The first game of their best-of-seven series is in Oklahoma on Tuesday.
If Leeds are able to retain their top-flight status, the majority of supporters are likely point to wins against relegation rivals Wolves, Burnley and West Ham as the defining moments of the season.
But Farke is almost certain to share a different view.
The 49-year-old is more likely to point to a 3-2 defeat by Manchester City in late November as the moment his side’s fortunes changed – and the numbers back it up.
After goals from Phil Foden and Josko Gvardiol put City 2-0 up inside 25 minutes, Leeds were left fearing the worst.
That was until Farke made an almighty roll of the dice, summoning Calvert-Lewin and defender Jaka Bijol from the bench to switch from a 4-3-3 to a 3-5-2.
It was a tactical switch that allowed Leeds an extra man in midfield and, crucially, offered extra support to summer signing Calvert-Lewin in attack.
Although Leeds saw a point snatched from their grasp when Foden scored a stoppage‑time winner, the performance – and a new tactical blueprint – offered both the club and Farke a road to redemption.
Leeds bounced back from the defeat against Pep Guardiola’s side by taking four points from a possible six against Chelsea and reigning champions Liverpool in the next two games.
“He was under real pressure, there was a lot of talk about his job – other managers were getting touted – and you felt if he lost against Manchester City he would lose his job,” said ex-Liverpool and Spurs midfielder Jamie Redknapp on Sky Sports.
“He didn’t win that game but they changed the system that day, played with a lot of promise and since then they’ve gone on a great run and gone from strength to strength.
“The points they’ve produced since the start of December has been fantastic.”
Since then, Leeds have lost only four out of a possible 19 league games – the ninth-best record in the division.
Consequently, Farke is on course to lead a team to Premier League survival for the first team in his career after failing to do so during his time in charge of Norwich.
American Gauff, who has been unwell with a stomach virus, will drop from third to fourth when the updated world rankings are released, with Poland’s Iga Swiatek replacing her.
The reigning French Open champion was ruthless in the second set after losing the first and looked a safe bet to advance to the next round at the expense of Noskova, after breaking the 21-year-old for a second time in the third set.
But world number 13 Noskova produced an impressive comeback in front of the Spanish crowd as Gauff faltered and will face Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk in the quarter-finals on Wednesday.
Kostyuk, 23, won 6-2 6-3 against American Caty McNally to celebrate her ninth victory in a row and back-to-back Madrid quarter-finals.
“Sometimes I get lost on court, especially in the second [set], as it happened today,” said Noskova. “I had to find my rhythm all over again in the third [set].”
Meanwhile, Sabalenka will take on American Hailey Baptiste, who defeated Belinda Bencic 6-1 6-7 (14-16) 6-3 in her fourth-round match, on Tuesday.
She defeated Baptiste, 24, in the quarter-finals of the Miami Open on her way to winning the title last month.
SHE rose to fame singing about her curves. But when singer Meghan Trainor lost 60lb for the sake of her health, cruel online trolls turned on her – branding her “a walking nose.”
But the All About That Bass hitmaker found support in reality show ‘momager’ Kris Jenner, who helped her navigate the horrific online abuse following her weight loss.
Meghan opened up about her recent struggles while sitting down with Biz on Sunday’s Emily following the release of her seventh studio album Toy With Me which dropped on Friday.
The American singer wrote the 14-track album while expecting her third child, daughter Mikey Moon, who was born via surrogate in January.
But while Meghan was excited to welcome her first girl, she said it had never felt tougher to be a female performer.
Meghan said: “I was getting a lot of hate online and it was all about my appearance and my looks and I was like: ‘Man, being a woman in this industry, it’ll never end.’”
Of seeking advice, Meghan said: “Kris Jenner helped me with the hate online. I went to her and I was like: ‘Everyone’s mad at me.’
“Kris was like: ‘Of course, because you’re successful. You’re on the internet and it’s a terrible place but it can also be a great place.
“She said: ‘Are you happy? Are you thriving in your life?’
“I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m doing pretty well, that’s why I’m confused.’
“She said: ‘That’s all that matters. You’re doing great.’”
Meghan added: “Kris was really nice about it and I was like: ‘I can’t imagine what you guys [the Kardashians] are going through.’
“She was like, ‘You don’t want to know, it’s a lot.’
“Kris sends me the biggest flowers. It’s like a competition between her and her daughter Khloe Kardashian, who can send me the biggest.”
Meghan rose to fame with her 2014 hit All About That Bass in which she sang: “Yeah, it’s pretty clear, I ain’t no size two.”
But after she was diagnosed with gestational diabetes while pregnant with her eldest son Riley in 2020, Meghan overhauled her lifestyle — with the help of weight-loss medication Mounjaro.
She said: “I’m finally taking care of myself, I’m finally listening to my body first instead of career first and destroying my health.”
But with her slimmer frame came a huge wave of online hate.
Of the comments, Meghan said: “They were like, ‘She’s just a walking nose.’
“‘She’s just so unlikeable now’. ‘I miss the old Meghan’, or ‘Hey, ‘zempy queen’ suggesting she had used Ozempic to lose the pounds.
“It made me just crumble and feel like I never wanted to go outside again.”
Meghan, who also has another son, Barry, with actor hubby Daryl Sabara, said she consulted her doctor following exhaustion from social media.
And earlier this week, Meghan said she needed to put her family first and cancelled her 33-date Get In Girl tour across North America.
She said: “We tested my blood and everything and they were like: ‘You’re on track to get an autoimmune disease.
“It was all the noise from social media destroying me and getting to me mentally.”
She added: “This all happened while having a daughter and I was like: ‘I’m so worried when she gets here.’
Of the album, Meghan said: “I wanted to make a lot of self-love anthems as I know she [Mikey] will need them growing up in this world too.”
FIRST CONCERT? NSYNC.
WORST HABIT? I peel my skin off until it bleeds.
COMFORT TV SERIES? A weird one but the medical drama series ER.
DRINK ORDER? Shirley Temple.
COMMON MISCONCEPTION? That I don’t put out music any more but I am still out here grinding.
ULTIMATE TREAT? A gluten-free brownie from Gwyneth Paltrow’s brand Goop.
SNOG? Disney+ thriller series Paradise, starring Sterling K. Brown has me totally hooked.
MARRY? Sarah Pidgeon and Paul Anthony Kelly in the brilliant Disney+ series Love Story.
AVOID? After my recent negative experiences I will be keeping well clear of media trolls.
LIAM PAYNE’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy has revealed she feels ready to meet someone again, 18 months after the singer’s passing.
The American influencer, who dated the One Direction star for two years, until he died aged 31, opened up on social media.
She said: “I am ready to start dating again. It has been a year and a half since Liam passed away.
“I think that love after loss is a big chapter within your grief journey and I don’t know how that is going to feel.
“But I do know that I loved being in love. I want to have kids one day, I want to have a family and I know Liam would want that for me and if the roles were reversed I would want him to be happy and fall in love again.”
She continued: “I will always love Liam and that will never change no matter who I meet and who comes into my life.
“I am going to think about Liam on my wedding day, I am going to think about him every day for the rest of my life and that goes without saying.”
EXCITING news for Maura Higgins as she has been confirmed for Dancing With The Stars.
I can reveal the reality star – who was snapped in New York in a stylish white dress with a long train – turned down Strictly in favour of the US show as she hopes to avoid further scandal.
Strictly is already linked to her exes Pete Wicks and pro dancer Giovanni Pernice, and last year she kissed married McFly star Danny Jones at a Brit Awards party.
A pal said: “She’s heading towards big things in LA, and Strictly is full of drama, she wants to keep her nose clean.”
CELEBS Go Dating’s relationship expert Anna Williamson has welcomed throuples on the Channel 4 dating show.
It comes after a married couple attended one of the reality show’s mixer events to see if any celebrities wanted to try a non-monogamous relationship.
Anna said: “It’s 2026, we’re moving with the times. Polyamory is something that is very much emerging from the shadows as a relationship construct.
“It’s not for everybody and I don’t believe it’s for the faint-hearted at all.”
Boxer David Haye and his long-term girlfriend Sian Osborne enjoy a rumoured open relationship.
They were most famously in a “throuple” with The Saturdays singer Una Healy, who denied she had a romantic relationship with Sian.
Anna said: “There is no right or wrong way to date.
“So we thought: ‘Well why not?’ It was lovely to throw that different relationship dynamic into the mix.”
THE ROLLING STONES rolled out posters across the UK yesterday promoting their upcoming album Foreign Tongues.
The billboard shows the title of the record –out July 10 in Danish.
Earlier this month I revealed that Paul McCartney will also feature on a track after a cameo on the Stones’ 2023 album Hackney Diamonds.
An insider said: “Details of the Stones’ new album have been kept secret but it’s true that Paul features on a new track on the upcoming album. It’s going to be a real treat for fans.”
Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood also dropped a single called Rough & Twisted under the pseudonym The Cockroaches earlier this month.
MILLIE MACKINTOSH has sat down with Olivia Attwood for an intimate chat following her high-profile split from Hugo Taylor.
The former Made In Chelsea star – who wore this revealing black gown to The Devil Wears Prada 2 premiere in London this week – will appear on an upcoming episode of Olivia’s House podcast.
The pair will have had a lot to discuss as the Love Islander ended her ten-year relationship with footballer Bradley Dack in January.
A source said: “It wasn’t a tell-all chat, that’s not Millie’s style, but she does touch on what she’s been going through.
“The women clearly bonded over a shared experience in the public eye.
“Olivia is bagging great guests for her podcast.”
I’m sure they had plenty to discuss off camera too . . .
HELENA BONHAM CARTER has left season four of HBO hit The White Lotus.
The Crown actress was set to appear in the next installment of the drama, which has begun filming on the French Riviera.
But an HBO spokesman said the character, created by filmmaker Mike White for Helena did not work on set.
In a statement to Deadline, they said: “With filming just under way it had become apparent that the character which Mike White created for Helena Bonham Carter did not align once on set.
“The role is being rewritten and will be recast. HBO and Mike are saddened that they won’t get to work with her, but remain ardent fans.”
Sounds like this is an even bigger plot twist than writers had anticipated.
MOVIE sequel The Devil Wears Prada 2 plugs weight-loss drug Ozempic.
The film, starring Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep, hits cinemas this Friday, and a source said: “There are many big brands in the film and it seems the makers of Ozempic will be pleased.”
It comes after Anne, who plays the film’s Andy Sachs, spoke to producers about casting models for the film.
After noticing models at last year’s Milan Fashion Week, were “alarmingly thin”, her co-star Meryl, told Harper’s Bazaar: “Anne made a beeline for producers about it, securing promises the models for our film wouldn’t be so skeletal.
“She’s a stand-up girl.”
Published On 25 Apr 202625 Apr 2026
The Los Angeles Lakers, fuelled by 29 points from LeBron James, beat the Houston Rockets 112-108 in an overtime thriller to take a 3-0 stranglehold in their NBA playoff series.
James, the 41-year-old superstar playing in his 19th postseason, came up with a steal and a game-tying three-pointer with 13.6 seconds left in regulation on Friday.
list of 4 itemsend of list
He could not get a potential game-winner to drop at the buzzer, but added a steal and a block in a frantic overtime as the Lakers pushed the Rockets to the brink of elimination in the best-of-seven Western Conference series.
No NBA team has come back from a 0-3 deficit to win a playoff series.
“Just trying to seize the opportunity,” James, who added 13 rebounds, six assists and three steals, told broadcaster Prime. “My guys trust me to try to make plays and I’m blessed to be able to do it.”
The Lakers will have a chance to close out the series in Houston on Sunday. It is not a position many expected them to be in with league-leading scorer Luka Doncic sidelined by a hamstring strain and key offensive contributor Austin Reaves out with an oblique injury.
The young Rockets, with veteran star Kevin Durant sidelined by a sprained ankle, were led by Alperen Sengun’s 33 points and 16 rebounds.
They rallied from an early 15-point deficit and led by six with fewer than 30 seconds left in regulation.
But their mistakes caught up with them. A Houston turnover was followed by a foul on Marcus Smart as he attempted a three-pointer.
Smart made all three free throws to cut the Lakers’ deficit to 101-98 and set the stage for James’s game-tying basket.
Sengun missed a potential go-ahead basket before James was off-target from beyond the arc and they went to overtime, Smart scoring eight of his 21 points in the extra session as the Lakers pulled away.
Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown scored 25 points apiece to lead the Celtics to a hard-fought 108-100 victory over the 76ers in Philadelphia and a 2-1 lead in their Eastern Conference series.
The Sixers had grabbed game two in Boston to knot the series at one game apiece.
In a game that neither team led by more than 10 points, the Celtics took a five-point lead into the fourth quarter.
Tyrese Maxey’s three-pointer briefly put the Sixers up 85-84 with 8:42 remaining, and Philadelphia were within one when Tatum drilled a three-pointer that pushed Boston’s lead to 100-96 with 1:57 left to play.
Payton Pritchard added another three-pointer with the shot-clock winding down before Tatum – who missed most of the season after suffering a torn Achilles tendon in last year’s playoffs – drained a dagger trey that sealed it for Boston.
“We just were resilient,” Tatum told broadcaster Prime. “We stuck with it. It’s a game of runs – good team and just, you’ve got to answer.”
Maxey scored 31 points to lead the Sixers. Paul George added 18 and rookie VJ Edgecombe added 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Sixers star Joel Embiid, still recovering from an emergency appendectomy earlier this month, was ruled out shortly before the game.
“He’s just not ready,” said Sixers coach Nick Nurse, whose team will try to even the series when they host game four on Sunday.
Stephon Castle had 33 points and the San Antonio Spurs overcame the absence of Victor Wembanyama to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 120-108 on Friday night for a 2-1 series lead.
Dylan Harper added 27 points and 10 rebounds for the Spurs, who trailed by 15 points in the third quarter. Game 4 of the first-round series will be on Sunday at the Moda Center.
Before the game, Spurs coach Mitch Johnson announced that Wembanyama would not play while he continues to recover from a concussion he sustained in Game 2 on Tuesday night.
Jrue Holiday had 29 points for the Trail Blazers, who were making their first home playoff appearance since 2021, but could not ultimately take advantage of Wembanyama’s absence.
Portland led 82-67 in the third quarter but the Spurs clawed back with a 21-5 run to take an 88-87 lead into the final period. Castle’s step-back jumper and a pair of free throws gave the Spurs a 105-95 lead midway through the fourth and the Trail Blazers collapsed.
Wembanyama – the league’s first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year and one of three finalists for the Most Valuable Player award – went down in the second quarter of the Spurs’ 106-103 Game 2 loss in San Antonio.
Johnson would not elaborate on Wembanyama’s condition, only to say he was progressing. He averaged 25 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and a league-best 3.1 blocks per game this season. His status for Sunday’s game was not known.
Luke Kornet started against the Trail Blazers as Wembanyama watched from the bench, finishing with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Portland went on a 15-2 run in the first half to go up 50-43 and led 65-59 at the break after Jerami Grant’s 3-pointer.
In the final moments of the half, Fox was handed an offensive foul when he charged towards the basket and elbowed Deni Avdija in the face. Johnson challenged the call and it was overturned to a defensive foul on Avdija, who had chipped a tooth but kept playing.
Mike Trout homered, Nolan Schanuel homered and hit a three-run double and Jose Soriano worked five shutout innings as the Angels beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-3 on Wednesday to avoid a series sweep.
Trout’s eighth homer of the season was a 428-foot solo shot in the bottom of the fifth. That hit tied the 34-year-old Trout with the late Garret Anderson for the Angels’ franchise record of 796 extra-base hits. Anderson died last week of an acute necrotizing pancreatitis at the age of 53.
Soriano, who is 5-0, gave up three hits and struck out five in five innings before leaving with a 3-0 lead. He lowered his ERA to an MLB-leading 0.24. The 27-year-old right-hander is the first MLB pitcher since 1900 to allow no more than one run in the first six starts of a season, and he has the lowest ERA (with a minimum of 30 innings pitched) through a pitcher’s first six starts of a season since 1913, when earned runs became official in both leagues.
Despite his impressive outing, Soriano did not figure in the decision after the Blue Jays rallied in the seventh. Ernie Clement’s RBI single with two out cut the deficit to 3-1. Toronto then capitalized on a walk, an error and an RBI double by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., tying the game at 3.
The Angels countered in the bottom half. Schanuel, who hit a solo homer in the fourth, hit a three-run double to left that gave the Angels a 6-3 lead. They added another run on Hunter Renfroe’s RBI single.
Brent Suter (1-1) struck out two and worked a scoreless seventh for the win. Tommy Nance (0-2) allowed two runs in 1 1/3 innings and took the loss.
Do the Lakers have a new Big Three?
LeBron James, Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard are putting in their bid to make it so.
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.”
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.
“That’s above my pay grade,” Redick said.
Bayern Munich come from behind to secure a 4-2 victory against Stuttgart and win their 35th German Bundesliga title with four games to spare.
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Luke-ah?
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.”
The Lakers sent Gabe Vincent and a 2032 second-round draft pick to Atlanta for Kennard in February. The midseason trade felt relatively marginal compared to league-wide blockbusters that shuffled James Harden, Darius Garland and Anthony Davis.
Kennard has now authored several headlining performances in the purple and gold. He drained a game-winning three-pointer against Orlando. He notched the first triple-double of his career.
Saturday’s season high eclipsed them all.
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.
“Luuuuuke!”
Manchester United strengthen grip on third spot in Premier League with 1-0 win that leaves Chelsea relying on favours.
Published On 18 Apr 202618 Apr 2026
Manchester United took a giant step towards ending a two-year exile from the Champions League as Matheus Cunha scored the only goal in a 1-0 win against Chelsea.
United’s victory on Saturday opens up a 10-point gap between the Red Devils in third place and sixth-placed Chelsea, with only 15 points left to play for this season.
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The top five in the Premier League will qualify for the Champions League next season.
But a fourth consecutive league defeat leaves Chelsea’s chances of being back among Europe’s elite next season in tatters. It also piles pressure on manager Liam Rosenior, only three months into his reign.
Chelsea once again bemoaned the lack of a clinical striker as they failed to break down a makeshift United defence ravaged by injury and suspension.
United manager Michael Carrick was forced to name a backline featuring three full-backs and 19-year-old Ayden Heaven. But they held out to boost the former England midfielder’s case to get the job at Old Trafford beyond the end of this season.
Chelsea were missing their top scorer, Joao Pedro, through injury, and one-time United target Liam Delap failed to take his chance to shine up front.
Rosenior recalled Enzo Fernandez after the Argentinian was given a two-game suspension by the Blues for suggesting he would be open to a summer move to Real Madrid.
Fernandez started with a point to prove and came agonisingly close to the opener when he curled inches wide.
United looked rusty in a 2-1 defeat to Leeds on Monday, their first action for three and a half weeks.
But Carrick’s men repaired the damage done to their chances of returning to the Champions League next season.
Cunha provided a precise finish to open the scoring two minutes before the break from Bruno Fernandes’s 18th Premier League assist of the season.
Chelsea improved after the break but failed to prevent another damaging defeat, leaving Rosenior’s role in doubt heading into next season.
Delap crashed a header against the woodwork, and Noussair Mazraoui turned a dangerous cross onto his own bar, under pressure from Wesley Fofana.
Moises Caicedo, fresh from signing a new seven-year contract, also came close to rescuing a point for the hosts.
But the final whistle was met by a chorus of boos at full-time, with the Club World Cup winners looking resigned to Europa League football at best next term.
