series

It’s officially May, which means summer vacation season is upon us. If you’re planning a trip to the beach, just make sure it’s got cell service (don’t say we didn’t warn you).

This week, Apple TV released the first two episodes of “Widow’s Bay,” a horror comedy that takes a closer look at those cozy seaside vacation towns and what might be beneath the surface. Katie Dippold, the creator of the series, which stars Matthew Rhys, Stephen Root and Kate O’Flynn (Jeff Hiller, one of my faves, also has a nice supporting role), stopped by Guest Spot to talk more about the genesis of the show and why it bends genres — more on that below.

Also in this week’s Screen Gab, we recommend a documentary film (and an animated short) that looks at the musical legacy of the King of Pop, and a recent docuseries about the FLDS community. — Maira Garcia

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Recommendations from the film and TV experts at The Times

Quincy Jones, left, Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie in Netflix’s “The Greatest Night in Pop.”

(Netflix/Courtesy of Netflix)

‘The Greatest Night in Pop,’ ‘Sing: Thriller’ (Netflix)

I don’t know whether the release of “Michael,” the Michael Jackson biopic, had anything to do with “I Want You Back,” the greatest single of all time, playing in my dentist’s office today, but MJ is definitely in the air, posthumously pelleting us with his fantastic music and permanently controversial self. Somewhat in that spirit, I offer Bao Minh Nguyen‘s 2024 documentary “The Greatest Night in Pop,” about the recording of the 1985 super-duper star charity single “We Are the World,” co-written by Jackson and Lionel Richie and featuring the oddest assortment of singers ever to be gathered into a single studio — a congregation including Tina Turner, Bob Dylan, Steve Perry, Huey Lewis, Stevie Wonder, Willie Nelson, Dionne Warwick, Cyndi Lauper, Ray Charles, Bruce Springsteen and Harry Belafonte, among others. (Richie, Springsteen, Lauper, Lewis and Sheila E. sit for new interviews.) Jackson fans will get a glimpse of him at work like a normal musician, albeit one dressed as the General of Neverland. Dylan watchers will see a fish far out of water. Local historians will enjoy footage of L.A. in the ‘80s. On another, quite delightful note, “Sing: Thriller,” also from 2024, is a 10-minute cartoon take on Jackson’s video of the same name, starring the cast of the “Sing” movies, zombified and, naturally, dancing. — Robert Lloyd

Christine Marie in Netflix’s “Trust Me: The False Prophet.”

(Netflix)

‘Trust Me: The False Prophet’ (Netflix)

Mormonism has been under the spotlight lately, with reality series and documentaries taking a closer look at the religious group. But one particular sect, the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has long come under scrutiny for its practices and allegations of cult-like behavior, child marriage and child sexual abuse. This four-part series from director Rachel Dretzin is a continuation of her work documenting the FLDS community (she previously directed 2022’s “Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey,” also for Netflix). It follows cult expert Christine Marie and her husband Tolga Katas, who moved to Short Creek, Utah, where the community previously led by Warren Jeffs, the former FLDS leader and convicted felon, is based. Marie befriends the women in the community, gaining their trust, only to find out that another man, Samuel Bateman, is claiming to be a prophet. What she uncovers is a web of abuse and crimes. The series is riveting and disturbing, culminating with Bateman’s arrest and eventual conviction. — M.G.

Guest Spot

A weekly chat with actors, writers, directors and more about what they’re working on — and what they’re watching

Matthew Rhys and Stephen Root in Apple TV’s “Widow’s Bay,” now streaming.

(Apple)

Have you ever taken a vacation to a nice place but then see or experience something that just feels off? Apple TV’s new series, “Widow’s Bay,” tries to capture some of that feeling, where a seemingly quaint town hides dark secrets.

Matthew Rhys plays Tom Loftis, the mayor of Widow’s Bay, an island 40 miles off the New England coast. He’s attempting to save the region from economic slump — there’s no WiFi, cell phone service is spotty, the streets need repaving — by trying to make it a tourist destination. He manages to get a New York Times travel writer to visit, who writes a story that seems to turn the town’s fortunes. But much to Tom’s chagrin, the locals — particularly Wyck, played by Stephen Root — say the island is cursed and it has been awakened to unleash a “haunt.”

Creator and showrunner Katie Dippold’s fascination with such places began at an early age, growing up in New Jersey, where her family would take trips to the shore. She began writing the series more than 10 years ago, and it’s evolved over the years. “Believe it or not, this was originally a ‘Parks and Recreation’ sample for me when I got that writing job,” says Dippold, whose writing credits also include “The Heat” and “Ghostbusters.” “But it was very different, it was more comedic.”

While the show incorporates some comedic elements, it very much has moments of horror and dread that might make you gasp when something unexpected happens. Some of that feeling is thanks to director Hiro Murai (“Atlanta,” “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”), who directed the first three episodes and the final two. “Sometimes it’s like a ‘blink and you miss it’ kind of moment, which I love for this show,” Dippold says, even if it meant losing some of the humor they’d written in the scripts.

The creator spoke over a video call to dissect the characters and series, and explained whether or not we would see Willy the clown from Episode 2 again. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity. — M.G.

You’ve worked on a number of comedic projects, and this show has comedy elements. But horror is definitely a part of this show. Have you always been into horror, and why mash up these genres?

I’m a comedy writer, first and foremost, but I’m also the biggest horror fan. I like watching horror more than I like watching comedy. I just wanted to try to create a world where you could play with both of those things. But I should say that I actually don’t like most horror comedies. The ones that do it well are some of my favorite movies, like “American Werewolf in London,” “Cabin in the Woods” or “Shaun of the Dead,” and even the three of those are very, very different.

Especially in a TV show, I didn’t want it to feel like constant horror and dread. I like having those moments with a surprise laugh … or just something completely absurd. But, to that point, it was also a constant tonal tightrope walk from beginning to end because … I never wanted to undercut the tension. As a horror fan, I wanted to take it very seriously, and so that was a challenge from the scripts to production to casting to the edit to the score, just every step of the way.

The show is set in a small island town that’s trying to become the new “it” destination — comparable places like Bar Harbor, Maine, and Cape Cod are mentioned — except the townsfolk say it’s cursed. What about these communities intrigues you and why set the story in that location?

I grew up in New Jersey, and I always loved going to the Jersey Shore, and I always talk about this haunted house on the boardwalk that I used to always go to, and I just love that seaside haunted house vibe. I think I always romanticized it … that atmosphere is my dream. A couple years ago, I went to a diner in Marblehead, Mass., and it’s called the Driftwood, and it was just so perfect … in the sense that it was so cozy and lived in. You could see the ocean outside. It was a gray, cloudy day and there was a cemetery that was not that far away. There’s something about it that I found so special, and I never wanted to leave that place. And so I just wanted to get that feeling and get it on the screen.

Unique places have unique people like Wyck, who is trying to warn Tom about the fog that’s rolled in. Wyck is an oddball — every town seems to have one. Was that rooted in anyone or anything?

I was just trying to think of who would be the best thorn in Loftis’ side, and Stephen Root is so great at everything he does, and he’s so funny, but then so heartbreaking the next. When I was young, my dad had his drinking buddies, and Wyck doesn’t seem that far off from that kind of person, so I kind of relate to that. He represents the voice of the people of the islands, the real islanders, the real locals that take it all very seriously, and so he’s just the constant menace to Loftis.

And poor Tom is so practical. He’s worried about keeping the town afloat and literally keeping the lights on. But he also kind of believes the stories. How does this character and his contrasts help illustrate the story?

I think Loftis, in the beginning of the story, is at a place of determination and optimism. He cannot accept that this is his life and he cannot accept that this is the life of his teenage son [Evan, played by Kingston Rumi Southwick]. So he’s really trying to bring what he can to the island through tourism and what that would do for the town. But there’s some stuff that he needs to reckon with — he will throughout the season. I think I can be very optimistic, and so when you learn the hard truths of life, I always take that very hard myself.

Is this related to his wife being dead?

I think that’s a huge part of it. There’s a lot of what happened with his wife that he hasn’t fully reconciled. There’s stuff he needs to come to terms with … if he keeps repressing it, it’s just going to destroy him.

You set some ground rules or parameters of the world we’re in: First the quake, the fog and so forth. How did you come up with it?

In the writer’s room, we spent so much time thinking of the history of this town and different eras of leadership. …Because the more that we fleshed out this world since 1681, the funnier it was to us when something would pop out that’s ridiculous, you know what I mean? Like, then the ludicrous is more fun, if everything else feels real. It’s so important that you buy everything that’s happening, because it’s very easy to go off the rails. Once you start not buying it, it’s very hard to get back to ever feeling the tension.

The other thing I would say about the mythology, the rules … Loftis could dismiss it. Like the examples the [New York Times] reporter gives at the restaurant [of islanders going to the mainland and dying], those are weird. It’s weird that those things happen to people, but it’s also not like they all went on a boat and blew up. It’s just weird enough that I know I would take it seriously but still murky enough to give a little bit of room for Loftis to dismiss it and not be a complete lunatic.

They’re plausible enough to have happened.

But deep down, I think it scares him very much and that’s why he’s putting in all the effort.

In Episode 2, we see Willy, a creepy, fast-moving clown. Will we see him again?

Oh, possibly. Because I think for some things on the island, if you’ve heard about it before, it’s existed before and it’s come back, so it’s probably not completely gone.

Hiro Murai directed the first three episodes and he has a couple more at the end of the season. I feel like we see his stamp on the show. Was he someone you wanted to work with? How did he help bring your vision to life?

He was my dream director for it because I love “Atlanta” so much. I think Hiro is so fantastic at creating a very grounded world, a grounded scene and then still surprising the hell out of you with some absurd moment.

“Atlanta” was very inspiring to me. I had written this long before, and I was rewriting throughout the 10 years or so. But TV changed in the process, from the time I wrote the pilot to now, and that was very helpful. I think he’s so good with specifics and little nuances, and we have a very similar sense of humor. … I just knew this show would never be corny if [Hiro] was directing it.

Last thing, what are you watching right now that you’d recommend to others?

I’m rewatching “Game of Thrones” [HBO Max]. Me and my boyfriend … make breakfast every Saturday morning and rewatch an episode from the series. And it’s such a fun rewatch because the first time, I had not read the books. It’s so fascinating to rewatch again, now that you understand what the hell is happening.

I’m also watching “Hacks’” [HBO Max] final season, which I always love. In terms of movies … we were in production and then I was in post, so I didn’t get to see a ton of new stuff, but I loved “Weapons” [HBO Max]. I know it’s now a year old … but that’s my honest answer.

ICYMI

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ANAHEIM, Calif. — When Joel Quenneville took over the long-suffering Ducks nearly a year ago, the veteran head coach cautiously said he hoped to get his new team into contention this season for its first playoff spot since 2018.

His young, hungry Ducks made it to the playoffs, all right — and they’re clearly not just happy to be here.

After nearly winning the Pacific Division in a surprisingly strong regular season, these Ducks ended the franchise’s eight-year postseason drought — and now they’ve eliminated Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and the two-time defending Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers with a six-game series victory in the first round.

Anaheim finished it off with a 5-2 victory in Game 6 on Thursday night, calmly dispatching its more experienced opponents with the poise and potency that this team has shown for long stretches this season. Quenneville could only applaud as his team took the next step on its journey.

Ducks center Leo Carlsson celebrates with left wing Chris Kreider after scoring an empty net goal during Game 6 of their Stanley Cup playoff series against the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday in Anaheim.

(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

“It’s a huge win,” Quenneville said. “I’m happy for the players. I’m happy for the fans. And now we’ve got a taste of playoff hockey, and I think we can feel at this moment that it’s so much fun playing games that have the meaning, and the building being as loud and excited as it is. It seems to grow from this level on.”

The future has finally arrived in Orange County, and the raucous sellout crowds that have supported this team all season long are loving the return of playoff hockey for the team that won California’s first Stanley Cup in 2007.

The Ducks also had one of the NHL’s best teams while winning five straight division titles through the middle of the 2010s, but those teams twice lost in the Western Conference finals before Anaheim fell into a rut of seven straight years without a playoff berth.

Those years of high draft picks have led to a roster with impressive high-end talent in its young core, and general manager Pat Verbeek added a slate of veteran signees to bolster it. Quenneville was the next huge piece of the puzzle, and the three-time Stanley Cup winner as a head coach has guided the Ducks to a first-round postseason upset.

“We know that (at) our best is a really good team when we’re playing the right way,” said Troy Terry, the longest-serving Ducks player since 2018. “We proved it to ourselves that we can do it consistently in a series, and our group should have a lot of confidence going forward in what makes us a good team.”

After stumbling into a 2-6-2 slump down the stretch and blowing the division lead, the third-place Ducks drew the playoff-tested Oilers in the first round. It looked like a nightmare matchup for an inexperienced team — but the Ducks were ready.

Anaheim stormed to a 3-1 series lead while pumping 20 goals past the Oilers, who looked slower and creakier than the Ducks. Edmonton showed off its postseason poise in Game 5, throttling the Ducks in a 4-1 victory and putting the onus on their inexperienced opponents to finish off the series.

And that’s exactly what the Ducks did: They scored three goals in the first period, jumped to a 4-1 lead after two, and never allowed the Oilers to get up enough momentum to seriously threaten a comeback.

“I’m just proud with the maturity level of that game,” Terry said. “For how inexperienced and young our team is, it’s exciting moving forward.”

Anaheim also got a star-making performance from defenseman Jackson LaCombe, who led the team with nine points while also leading its defensive effort against McDavid and Draisaitl. LaCombe, a late addition to the U.S. Olympic team last winter, led the Ducks with a plus-6 rating while playing 22 1/2 minutes per game and taking just one penalty.

“A lot of us young guys are learning a lot as we go along, and I thought we got better throughout the series,” LaCombe said. “It means a lot for us.”

The Ducks have extended their breakthrough season for at least another couple of weeks, and they’re relatively healthy. Their next opponent will be the Vegas Golden Knights — another experienced playoff team loaded with veterans.

The Ducks and their fans are thrilled to take the next step on this unlikely journey.

“Now we get to experience another round, and I think this is healthy for us,” Quenneville said. “We’ve got a young group that … you don’t know how they’re going to play, but you’re certainly excited what the upside is.”

Beacham writes for the Associated Press.

HOUSTON — Marcus Smart’s block. LeBron James’ dominant second quarter. Deandre Ayton’s relentless rebounding.

The individual performances in the Lakers’ ugly, but decisive, 98-78 series-clinching win over the Houston Rockets on Friday were almost too numerous for coach JJ Redick to focus on each one.

That collective spirit is also what makes him so confident heading into the Lakers’ first Western Conference semifinal appearance since 2023.

“For us to be written off a few weeks ago and to win a playoff series is a big deal,” Redick said after the Lakers polished off their first-round playoff series in six games. “And it just speaks to the character of our team and the leaders of our team. They didn’t let go of the rope.”

After winning a series in which they were underdogs for every game they won, the Lakers return to the scene of their lowest moment to face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals beginning Tuesday.

The last time they were in Oklahoma City, the Lakers lost by 43 points. Their two best players sustained regular-season ending injuries, with news of Luka Doncic’s hamstring injury and Austin Reaves’ oblique strain coming on consecutive days after the loss. Still dazed from the emotional hangover, the Lakers lost their next two games.

“There was a lot of question marks,” Reaves said. “And just the way that we responded as a group, I think it just tells you a lot about the people that we have in our room. There’s no quit.”

The Lakers finished the regular season with three consecutive wins. They leapt out to a 3-0 series lead against Houston before letting doubt creep in again. After the Lakers squandered two chances to end the series, including a disappointing home loss Wednesday when Reaves returned from injury, critics wondered if the Lakers would really be the first team in NBA history to blow a 3-0 playoff lead.

James wouldn’t allow it.

The superstar forward dominated with 28 points on 10-of-25 shooting, seven rebounds and eight assists. He outscored the Rockets by himself in the second quarter 14-13 as the Lakers went on a 27-3 run to open a 19-point lead.

“We understand that he’s the guy that brings energy, but also we have to help him,” forward Rui Hachimura said, “especially you know, he’s old now.”

Hachimura didn’t try to suppress a smile.

Lakers forward Rui Hachimura blocks a shot by Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. during the first half of Game 6.

(Ashley Landis / Associated Press)

The Japanese forward did his part with 21 points, including five three-pointers. Smart leapt for a jaw-dropping block against 6-foot-8 Tari Eason and drew three charges. Ayton had 16 rebounds, helping the Lakers outrebound the best rebounding team of a generation 54-45.

Ayton, often maligned for his inconsistent effort, has been a force in the postseason, averaging 11.8 points and 10.8 rebounds while often guarding Rockets All-Star Alperen Sengun one-on-one.

“He’s been saying it all year: ‘Wait till I get to the playoffs,’” Smart said of Ayton. “It’s a different side of him that fans haven’t seen, that we expect, that we know he can give. He knows it and he’s ready.”

In his second game back from injury, Reaves had 15 points on seven-of-14 shooting with three blocks. He missed all four of his three-point attempts, still searching for his shooting rhythm after a long layoff. But the way Reaves attacked his treatment and returned before the typical four- to six-week timeline was his own form of leadership, Redick said.

Reaves sometimes left his house at 7:30 a.m. and didn’t return until more than 12 hours later. He drove all over L.A. looking for different treatment options. He did everything short of following Doncic to Europe, Reaves joked.

Doncic’s status is still unknown for the beginning of the conference semifinals. He has yet to progress to live play on the court, although he recently started incorporating movement into his on-court drills instead of just stationary shooting. He is still out indefinitely.

Without the star point guard, the Lakers could confidently turn to James to steer them through choppy waters. He averaged 22.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 8.3 assists in the first-round series. At one point during Friday’s game, Reaves approached him to just tell him his performance was “insane.”

“I don’t think you can say in words how special he was,” Reaves said, “not just tonight but this series, this year.”

In the locker room after the game when the Lakers prepared to break their last huddle, the lights suddenly clicked off. Players started bleating, serenading James with sounds deserving of the G.O.A.T. — greatest of all time.

Lakers lead series, or do they?

From Bill Plaschke: There have been 160 times an NBA team has led a series three games to none.

There have been 160 times that team has won the series.

Marvel in that statistic. Appreciate its power. Wax in its endurance. Embrace its existence.

Because the Lakers are two losses from blowing it to bits.

This is not really happening, is it? The Lakers aren’t really on the verge of messing up a three-games-to-none lead to the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs, are they?

It’s happening. With a glare and a snarl and youthful athleticism, the wrong side of history beckons.

Like Reed Sheppard wrestling the ball out of LeBron James’ hands in the final minutes, the Rockets are in the process of stealing this.

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Swanson: Lakers need another ageless LeBron James performance after Game 5 loss

Marcus Smart says Lakers must ‘be willing to run through a wall’ in Game 6

Lakers playoff schedule

First round
All times Pacific

at Lakers 107, Houston 98 (box score)
at Lakers 101, Houston 94 (box score)
Lakers 112, at Houston 108 (box score)
at Houston 115, Lakers 96 (box score)
Houston 99, at Lakers 93 (box score)
Friday: Lakers at Houston, 6:30 p.m., Prime Video
*Sunday: Houston at Lakers, TBD

*-if necessary

Ducks advance to second round

Leo Carlsson, Troy Terry and Chris Kreider had a goal and two assists apiece, and the Ducks eliminated Connor McDavid the two-time defending Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers with a 5-2 victory in Game 6 of their first-round playoff series Thursday night.

Cutter Gauthier had a goal and an assist, Ryan Poehling scored the opening goal and Lukas Dostal made 25 saves in a standout performance for the upstart Ducks, who stormed to their team’s first playoff series victory since 2017.

After ending a seven-year postseason absence by knocking out the powerhouse Oilers, the Ducks will face the winner of the Vegas Golden Knights’ series with the Utah Mammoth. Vegas leads 3-2 heading to Salt Lake City on Friday night.

Connor Murphy and Vasily Podkolzin scored as Edmonton followed up its worst regular season since 2021 by going out in the first round for the first time since that season.

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Ducks summary

NHL playoffs schedule

Ducks playoffs schedule

All times Pacific

at Edmonton 4, Ducks 3 (summary)
Ducks 6, at Edmonton 4 (summary)
at Ducks 7, Edmonton 4 (summary)
at Ducks 4, Edmonton 3 (OT) (summary)
at Edmonton 4, Ducks 1 (summary)
at Ducks 5, Edmonton 2 (summary)

Cheap transportation to World Cup in L.A.

From Kevin Baxter: Ticket prices are just the start of the soaring expenses many fans will face while trying to watch World Cup games this summer.

NJ Transit is charging $150 for round-trip tickets from Manhattan to the Meadowlands (the regular price is $12.60) for the World Cup final, while host committee shuttle buses will cost $80.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is demanding $80 to ride one of the 14 express trains on the 30-mile trip from downtown Boston to Foxborough for games at Gillette Stadium. That’s more than three times the normal price.

In Southern California, however, it will cost $1.75 to get to SoFi Stadium on a combination of buses or trains from as far away as Claremont and Simi Valley. That’s also what it costs to get to the Inglewood venue on any other day of the year; only two of the 11 World Cup cities in the U.S. are offering less expensive public transportation.

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Sparks say they can make playoffs

From Marisa Ingemi: Expectations around the Sparks are higher than they’ve been in some time. During Thursday’s media day, that was evident.

The Sparks reloaded for this season, adding veterans Nneka Ogwumike, Erica Wheeler and Ariel Atkins to returners Kelsey Plum and Cameron Brink.

After falling just two games short of the playoffs last season, this year’s goal is clear.

“Transformation takes time, and it’s a process, right?” Plum said. “And I think I see that we’ve had tremendous growth. To bring in players like Nneka, Erica Wheeler and then Ariel, we have everyone in camp fully healthy.

“I think, really, our depth and our talent is immense this year, and the mission is very clear from everyone on this team and equipped with the jump and training camp, very excited about the hunger and sense of urgency that we have. We want to win now, that’s very important to us.”

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This day in sports history

1943 — Count Fleet, ridden by Johnny Longden, wins the Kentucky Derby by three lengths over Blue Swords.

1948 — Citation, ridden by Eddie Arcaro, wins the Kentucky Derby by 3½ lengths over Coaltown. It’s Citation’s toughest race in winning the Triple Crown.

1954 — 80th Kentucky Derby: Raymond York wins aboard Determine, his only Derby success.

1955 — American golfer Babe Didrikson-Zaharias wins the Peach Blossom LPGA Tournament in Spartanburg, South Carolina, her final victory before her death the following year.

1959 — Floyd Patterson scores 11th round KO of Englishman Brian London in Indianapolis; his 4th World Heavyweight Boxing title defence.

1965 — The Montreal Canadiens beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-0 in Game 7 to capture the Stanley Cup.

1965 — 91st Kentucky Derby: Bill Shoemaker wins aboard Lucky Debonair, the third of his four Derby victories.

1969 — Leonard Tose buys NFL Philadelphia Eagles for a professional sports record $16.15 million.

1976 — 102nd Kentucky Derby: Puerto Rican jockey Ángel Cordero Jr. wins aboard Bold Forbes, the second of three Derby successes.

1981 — Tennis player Billie Jean King acknowledges a lesbian relationship with Marilyn Barnett, becoming first prominent sportswoman to come out.

1982 — Gato del Sol, ridden by Ed Delahoussaye, comes from last place in a field of 19 to win the Kentucky Derby. Gato del Sol, finishes 2 1/2 lengths ahead of Laser Light, who beat Reinvested by a neck for second. He finishes in 2:02 2/5 and returns $44.40 for a $2 bet. Air Forbes Won, the 5-2 favorite of the crow of 141,009, finishes seventh.

1984 — NFL Draft: Nebraska wide receiver Irving Fryar first pick by New England Patriots.

1988 — After scoring 50 points in Game 1, NBA Eastern Conference playoff series, Michael Jordan has 55 in Chicago Bulls 106-101 win vs Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 2; first to score 50+ points in consecutive playoff games.

1992 — The Pittsburgh Penguins become the 11th NHL team to rebound from a 3-1 deficit and win a playoff series after beating the Washington Capitals 3-1.

1993 — Bruce Baumgartner wins his 11th straight national wrestling title by beating Joel Greenlee 6-0 in the 286-pound freestyle division at the U.S. championships in Las Vegas.

2003 — The three-time defending champion Lakers beat Minnesota 101-85 to win the series 4-2. It’s the 13th straight playoff series won under Phil Jackson, and Jackson-coached teams have an NBA-record 25 consecutive series wins.

2004 — Smarty Jones splashes his way past Lion Heart in the stretch to win the Kentucky Derby. Smarty Jones runs his record to 7 for 7 and becomes the first unbeaten Derby winner since Seattle Slew in 1977.

2005 — 17-year old Lionel Messi scores his 1st senior league goal for FC Barcelona in 2-0 win against Albacete Balompié, at the Spotify Camp Nou in Barcelona.

2006 — Detroit, winner of the President’s Trophy by leading the league in points (124) this season, is eliminated in the first round for the third time in five postseasons after a 4-3 loss to Edmonton in Game 6.

2008 — Johan Franzen records his second hat trick in three games with three more goals and helps Detroit complete a four-game sweep of Colorado with an e is 8-2 win. He is the first player with two hat tricks in one playoff series since Jari Kurri did it for Edmonton in 1985.

2010 — Jockey Calvin Borel steers Super Saver through the mud to win his third Kentucky Derby in four years, beating Lookin At Lucky by 2 1/2 lengths. The win ends trainer Todd Pletcher’s Derby drought. Pletcher, who had four horses in the race, came into the race 0 for 24 since 2000.

2019 — Argentine forward Lionel Messi scores twice for his 600th goal for FC Barcelona in a 3-0 home win over Liverpool in a Champions League semifinal.

2021 — 147th Kentucky Derby: Medina Spirit gives jockey John Velazquez his fourth Derby win and trainer Bob Baffert a record seventh victory in the race.

Compiled by the Associated Press

This day in baseball history

1884 — Toledo’s Moses Fleetwood Walker became the first Black player in the pre-modern era of the major leagues. His Blue Stockings lost 5-1 to Louisville.

1891 — In front of almost 10,000 fans, Cy Young of the Cleveland Spiders defeats the Cincinnati Reds, 12-3, in the first game ever played in Cleveland’s League Park.

1901 — Chicago’s Herm McFarland hit the first grand slam in American League history and Dummy Hoy also homered in the Chicago White Sox’ 19-9 rout of the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers committed an AL record 12 errors, 10 by the infield, in the loss.

1906 — John Lush of the Philadelphia Phillies pitched a no-hitter at Brooklyn, beating the Dodgers 6-0.

1920 — Joe Oeschger of the Boston Braves and Leon Cadore of the Brooklyn Dodgers each pitched 26 innings in a 1-1 tie, the longest in major league history.

1920 — Babe Ruth hit his first home run as a Yankee, and 50th of his career, as New York beat Boston 6-0 at the Polo Grounds.

1925 — The Philadelphia Athletics introduce another future Hall of Famer, 17-year-old catcher Jimmie Foxx, who pinch-hits a single in the 9-4 loss to the Washington Senators.

1926 — Legendary pitcher Satchel Paige makes his debut in the Negro Southern League.

1944 — George Myatt of Washington went 6-for-6 and the Senators beat the Boston Braves 11-4.

1951 — New York’s Mickey Mantle hit his first major league home run in an 8-3 loss at Chicago. The first of Mantle’s 536 homers came in the sixth inning off Randy Gumpert.

1968 — Philadelphia Phillies pitcher John Boozer was ejected by umpire Ed Vargo at Shea Stadium for throwing spitballs during his warmup pitches. Boozer was the second major league pitcher to be ejected from a game for this.

1969 — Houston’s Don Wilson beat the Cincinnati Reds with a 4-0 no-hitter at Crosley Field, one day after the Reds’ Jim Maloney no-hit the Astros and nine days after Wilson absorbed a 14-0 pounding by Cincinnati.

1973 — The San Francisco Giants scored seven runs with two out in the ninth inning to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-7.

1975 — Hank Aaron collects four hits and two RBI in the Brewers’ 17-3 win over Detroit. This brings his career RBI total to 2,211, breaking Babe Ruth’s published record of 2,209.

1984 — Dwight Gooden became the first teenager to strike out a least ten batters in a game since Bert Blyleven did it in 1970. The Mets’ 19-year-old phenom would set a major league rookie record with 276 strikeouts.

1991 — Rickey Henderson surpassed Lou Brock as baseball’s career stolen base leader with his 939th steal as the Oakland Athletics beat the New York Yankees 7-4.

1991 — Nolan Ryan pitched his seventh no-hitter, struck out 16 and shut down the best-hitting team in the majors, as the Texas Rangers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-0.

1992 — The Dodgers postponed a three-game series against Montreal because of rioting in Los Angeles after the Rodney King verdict.

1992 — Rickey Henderson garners his 1,000th stolen base.

2000 — San Francisco Giants left fielder Barry Bonds becomes the first player to hit a ball into San Francisco Bay (McCovey’s Cove) as the first “splashdown” home run at Pacific Bell Park.

2012 — Orioles manager Buck Showalter wins his 1,000th game as a major league skipper when the O’s defeat the Yankees, 7-1.

2015 — Alex Rodriguez ties Willie Mays for fourth place on the all-time home run list when he hits number 660 against the Red Sox.

2020 — Even though there is no baseball being currently played, pitcher Emmanuel Clase of the Indians manages to get himself suspended, as the results of a test are positive for Boldenone, an anabolic steroid. He will be suspended for 80 games from whenever the season eventually starts.

2022 — Kelsie Whitmore becomes the first woman to start a game in the Atlantic League, which is now part of Organized Baseball as a partner league of Major League Baseball, when she starts in left field for the Staten Island FerryHawks against the Gastonia Honey Hunters.

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time…

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.

Crime thriller fans are heaping praise on a gripping new BBC series starring Sheridan Smith, as people say it’s the ‘show of the year’ and has some ‘unexpectedly’ funny moments

A new BBC crime thriller series could be your next obsession. If you’re looking for a new series to sink your teeth into, then forget about Netflix and Amazon Prime Video – as a new series now available to watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer has already been touted as one of the best shows of 2026.

The five-part series stars Sheridan Smith and Michael Socha, and according to people on social media, it is both gripping and “unexpectedly funny”. With only five episodes, it’s the perfect thing to binge this weekend – especially if you’re looking for a “high-stakes” show with tension and laughter.

TV and film reviewer Emily posted a video on TikTok in which she heaped praise on the new series, called The Cage, stating that fans of crime dramas should “get this one on your watch list” immediately.

She said: “We have a brand-new high-stakes crime thriller that the BBC have just dropped, starring Sheridan Smith and Michael Socha. So if you love a good crime thriller, then definitely get this one on your watch list.”

The Cage is set in a casino in Liverpool, where two casino workers named Leanne (Smith) and Matty (Socha) realise they have both plotted to steal from the same safe.

Emily explained: “It’s all about two employees who are both secretly stealing from the same safe without knowing that the other exists. What starts off as a quick way to make extra money turns into something far more dangerous when their lives collide, pulling them into a situation involving crime, pressure, and people that they really do not want to be involved with. From then on, everything just keeps spiralling.”

The TV reviewer said she hasn’t yet finished the series herself, but she’s already “hooked” after just two episodes.

She continued: “I have watched the first two episodes so far, and I am hooked. It’s really tense, gritty, unpredictable, and you have this constant sense that something could go wrong at any moment, which really raises the stakes. It also really leans into desperation and bad decisions, and how quickly things can spiral, even if you think you have a plan.”

The Cage was created by Tony Schumacher, who also created the BBC police drama The Responder, which starred Martin Freeman as a police officer who has been demoted from his position as an inspector and takes on a series of night shifts in Liverpool city centre.

Alongside Sheridan Smith and Michael Socha, The Cage also stars Barry Sloane, Geraldine James, and Sue Jenkins. The show was directed by Al Mackay and was filmed in Liverpool and Merseyside in early 2025.

Commenters on Emily’s video were split over the series. Some said they had already seen it and found it to be “slow”, while others said it was “unexpectedly” good.

One person said: “Watched it all over the past two nights, really, really good. Would recommend it.”

Someone else posted: “This is really good. Unexpectedly, it was quite funny in parts.”

But another wasn’t convinced, writing: “I’ve watched the first episode, [and] it needs to get better. I will try one more, but if it hasn’t grabbed me, that will be me done.”

A fourth shared: “Watching it now. [It’s] a bit slow.”

The star of one of the best British crime dramas has left the door open for its return.

The star of a BBC crime drama that has been hailed as a “masterpiece” by fans has hinted at its return.

Adrian Lester starred alongside Robert Glenister and Robert Vaughn in Hustle, which first aired in 2004 and ran for eight series until 2012.

The beloved show followed a group of con artists specialising in ‘long cons’, high-risk, high-reward activities of deceptive fraud.

While they were con artists themselves, the group, led by Adrian’s character Mickey ‘Bricks’ Stone, targeted greedy, amoral and undeserving individuals, with each episode featuring one complex scam that would reveal itself at the end.

The BBC originally teased: “Hustle will take you into a world with a whole new set of rules, where the good guys can be very bad and you can’t always trust what’s right before your eyes . . .

“An action-packed blend of humour and intrigue, Hustle follows the fortunes of a gang of five expert con artists let loose on the streets of London.

“They are specialists in the ways of the grifter and all are keen to liberate cash from the amoral and undeserving.”

Fans were left devastated when the series came to an end, but Adrian has now left the door open for its return.

During an appearance on BBC Breakfast on Wednesday 29 April, the star spoke about his new West End production, before referring to his widely-praised role.

He told hosts Sarah Campbell and Ben Thompson, when asked if there was any chance Hustle would come back: “There’s always conversations about it possibly coming back.

“It’s something that’s been really well-loved by the public, and it was a great success for the BBC, and we are ever hopeful that it might come back on our screens.”

This comes after the cast of Hustle previously hinted at its comeback in 2023, sending fans wild with a snap of their reunion.

Matt Di Angelo shared a snap alongside the cast including Adrian and Kelly Adams, writing: “We’rrrrreeeee Baaaccckkkk.”

Fans were left delighted, with one writing: “Shut up!!!!!!!!! Oh my god I’m sooooo excited!!” as another said: “Remember you can’t con an honest man so this has best be true.”

His post came despite the cast insisting in 2012 that Hustle “couldn’t be brought back” in the future.

Kelly told the BBC: “We were contracted to be in it for three years, which was supposed to end last year, but the ratings were the highest they’ve ever been.

“So they [the producers] said ‘Shall we just do one more and finish it properly with a fantastic leading storyline so it can’t come back?’ and we said, ‘Yes.'”

Describing the ending, Matt added: “It’s really bizarre. None of us saw it coming.”

Viewers have branded Hustle “TV gold”, with one fan calling it a “masterpiece”, adding: “The Brits have a classic on their hands with this one.”

Another said: “From the marvellous, absolutely thrilling opening title sequence to the vintage splitscreen shots and cliché montage tricks, this is an incredible breath of fresh air from the BBC.”

Yet another echoed: “This is quite simply the best British television programme that I have seen grace our screens,” while someone else added: “It’s probably the best crime drama I’ve ever seen.”

Hustle is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

If you’ve ever daydreamed about owning an item from Carrie Bradshaw’s closet or the writing desk where she penned her famous memoir, this L.A. event may be your golden ticket.

Julien’s is hosting an auction for “And Just Like That…,” the sequel to HBO’s groundbreaking series “Sex and the City” that took its final bow last year after three seasons. The auction features more than 500 lots of designer clothing, shoes, furnishings, kitschy keepsakes and props straight from the beloved show. Online bidding kicked off earlier this month and will conclude with a live, two-day event at the auction house’s Gardena location on Thursday and Friday. Participants can place bids both online and in person.

Given the popularity of the show, particularly the fashion, style expert George Kotsiopoulos says being able to own an item that your favorite character wore or had in their home is a rare opportunity.

“Even if you love something design wise, there’s an extra layer of ‘Well, that came from “And Just Like That…”’ or ‘That’s Carrie’s’ or ‘That’s Charlotte’s’ or ‘That’s Miranda‘s,’” adds Kotsiopoulos, a former co-host of “Fashion Police” and a style expert working with Julien’s on this sale.

While you won’t be able to snag a pair of Manolo Blahniks worn by Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) — Carrie’s clothing is sadly not for sale at this auction — you can purchase other items from her closet, including the round, vintage suitcases that held her elaborate hats, custom wooden hangers inscribed with her initials or even empty designer shoe and jewelry boxes.

Many items from Carrie’s collection are from the luxurious apartment she shared with her husband, Mr. Big. There’s the front door intercom panel, a pair of embossed leather club chairs and, fatefully, Mr Big’s Peloton water bottle. The memoir “Loved & Lost” that Carrie wrote about Mr. Big’s sudden death is also for sale, as is the manuscript. A small but poignant item: the condolence card sent to Carrie by Samantha Jones, her estranged friend played by Kim Cattrall, who made a brief but impactful appearance in the reboot.

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1. Shoes from Lisa Todd Wexley’s collection. 2. Carrie Bradshaw’s globetrotter luggage set, a vintage stool and steel writing desk. 3. Midcentury modern chairs and an upholstered cat pillow from Carrie Bradshaw’s Gramercy townhouse.

Fashion lovers will likely find satisfaction raiding the closets of OG characters Charlotte York-Goldenblatt (Kristin Davis) and Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon), along with newcomers Seema Patel (Sarita Choudhury) and Lisa Todd Wexley (Nicole Ari Parker). Notable items from their collections include Charlotte’s Prada coat from the Spring 2023 Menswear collection and Miranda’s vintage Issey Miyake coat. There’s also an authentic woven Intrecciato Bottega Veneta clutch that Miranda wore, Seema’s silk Fendi dress, the showstopping Balmain cape Lisa wore while trekking through the snow in New York City and an array of glamorous heels.

Catherine Williamson, managing director of Hollywood memorabilia for Julien’s, says it was important for the company to price items conservatively so many people, particularly fans who may have never bid before, would have a chance to buy something.

As of late last week, several items had highest bids under $100. Meanwhile, bigger ticket items like Marantino’s Louis Vuitton bags were bidding for $4,000, and the engraved Rolex watch — it’s a prop not a genuine Rolex — that Bradshaw gifted Mr. Big for their anniversary was going for $5,000.

In honor of the late Willie Garson, who played Stanford Blatch on the series, Warner Bros. Discovery will make a one-time donation to You Gotta Believe, a New York City-based organization that specializes in finding permanent families for pre-teens and young adults in foster care. As a father of an adopted son, Garson, who died from pancreatic cancer in September 2021, was deeply connected to the organization.

Ryan Poehling scored 2:29 into overtime, and the Ducks pushed Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers to the brink of first-round elimination with a 4-3 victory in Game 4 on Sunday night.

Jeffrey Viel tied it with 6:29 left in regulation for the Ducks, who rallied from an early two-goal deficit and another third-period hole before taking a 3-1 series lead with their third consecutive victory over the back-to-back Western Conference champion Oilers.

The Ducks won when Poehling’s sharp-angled shot trickled under Edmonton goalie Tristan Jarry, who had played well in his first playoff start for his new team. An extensive video review revealed no reason to overturn the judgment on the ice that the puck had barely crossed the goal line underneath Jarry’s skate.

Game 5 is Tuesday night in Edmonton.

The Ducks celebrate their Game 4 victory.

(Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images)

Cutter Gauthier and Mikael Granlund scored power-play goals in the second period for the Ducks, whose first playoff series in eight years has been an exciting demonstration of their revamped roster’s skill. Lukas Dostal stopped 24 shots for the Ducks, which have scored 20 goals in four games against the Oilers.

Evan Bouchard scored a tiebreaking goal early in the third period and Jarry made 34 saves for the Oilers. Kasperi Kapanen and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored first-period goals.

Edmonton nearly won it late in regulation, but Dostal made a spectacular, sprawling pad save to deny McDavid on a late breakaway. The Oilers’ superstar center has a goal and two assists in the series.

The Dodgers claimed a series victory over the Chicago Cubs with a 6-0 win on Sunday.

Their offensive surge from the previous game carried over into the first inning.

Shohei Ohtani and Teoscar Hernández remained patient against Cubs rotation-leader Shota Imanaga, both drawing walks. Then Andy Pages hit a sacrifice fly, Kyle Tucker doubled and Miguel Rojas drove in two runs, to give the Dodgers (19-9) a 3-0 lead.

Neither team scored for the next four innings.

Dodgers left-hander Justin Wrobleski navigated early command issues, issuing three walks in the first two innings before finding his rhythm to get through six frames without allowing a run. He limited the Cubs (17-11) to four hits.

The Dodgers’ bats came alive again in the sixth. Pages led with a double and Kyle Tucker drew a walk, setting up Dalton Rushing’s RBI single through the right side of the field. Tucker later scored on an errant back-pick attempt by Cubs catcher Carson Kelly.

Kyle Tucker scores for the Dodgers in the fifth inning against the Chicago Cubs on Sunday.

(Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)

The next inning, designated hitter Shohei Ohtani homered for the first time in two weeks, suggesting the end of his short-lived slump.

Dodgers relievers Edgardo Henriquez, Jack Dreyer and Kyle Hurt completed the shutout.

Will Smith sidelined

Dodgers catcher Will Smith was out of the lineup for the second straight game because of lingering back tightness, according to manager Dave Roberts.

“It’s one of those where he could play if needed,” Roberts said. “But we just thought it was smart to give him an extra day.”

Roberts said the Dodgers were not considering putting Smith on the injured list and hoped he would return to the lineup Monday against the Miami Marlins. It helped that backup catcher Rushing entered Sunday batting .400 with seven home runs in just 11 games.

“You weigh out the positives and negatives,” Roberts said. “But Dalton going the way he’s going, it just only seems like downside to push [Smith] now.”

The best way to climb a mountain is one step at a time.

Especially when you’re wearing skates.

And the Kings will be wearing skates and staring at a very large mountain when they take the ice Sunday for Game 4 of their best-of-seven Stanley Cup playoff series with the Colorado Avalanche, a loss away from elimination.

“You’ve just got to start with the first one,” defenseman Mikey Anderson said after a fast-paced 45-minute practice Saturday. “You try to win the first one, and then reset and go from there.”

Since the Kings trail 3-0 a win in Sunday’s matinee at Crypto.com Arena will do little more than extend the series one game, sending the teams back to Denver. To advance to the second round, the Kings need to win four in a row against the team that posted the NHL’s best record in the regular season.

How big a mountain is that? Well, the Avalanche haven’t lost four in a row since October and the Kings haven’t won a first-round playoff series since 2014.

One step at a time.

“You just have to win one, that’s first off. And then the hardest one will be the next one,” Kings interim coach D.J. Smith said. “And then, you know, it’s just momentum changes. But you can’t think about that without winning one, and you can’t think about winning one without winning the first period.

“You’re up against it, but I don’t think you can think about winning the series. You just got to think about winning one game.”

The series has been a lot closer than the deficit would indicate. The Kings have won the battle of the special teams, with their penalty kill shutting out the NHL’s highest-scoring team on nine chances. They’ve also scored a power-play goal in each of three games and held Nathan MacKinnon, the league’s top goal-scorer, to one assist in three games.

MacKinnon didn’t even take a shot in Game 3, yet Colorado won 4-2 with two goals bouncing in off the skates of Kings forward Adrian Kempe and goalie Anton Forsberg while another was scored into an empty net.

“You still lose the game,” Anderson said. “This time of year doesn’t really matter. You can say it feels good, you do all these good things. But if you don’t win the game, it’s kind of it’s the only thing that matters right now.”

ings center Scott Laughton (21) checks Avalanche defenseman Sam Malinski (70) into the boards during the second period of Game 2 in Denver.

(Jack Dempsey / Associated Press)

Added forward Scott Laughton, “Sometimes you get the bounce, sometimes you don’t. You have to have a very-narrow minded focus. We’ve got to stick to the process.”

The Kings have only four goals in the series and have scored just once at even strength, so Smith scrambled his bottom two forward lines in practice Saturday in a search for speed in the offensive end. But he said he doesn’t plan any major changes for Game 4, adding the Kings just need to check harder, move the puck better and get to the net more.

“I think that the game plan is correct,” he said.

However the Kings have taken just 76 shots in the three games, making things far too easy for Avalanche goalie Scott Wedgewood, who has been brilliant.

“We’ve got to find ways to put the puck in the net, whether that’s crashing the nets, making the play for an empty netter. It doesn’t matter at this point,” said Kings’ captain Anze Kopitar, whose 20-year NHL career ends when his team’s season does. “We’ve got to find a way.”

Smith, who rallied the Kings into the playoffs after taking over for Jim Hiller with 23 games left in the regular season, is making his Stanley Cup playoff debut as a head coach. But he’s been in this position before. As an assistant with Windsor in the Ontario Hockey League, Smith coached a team that overcame a 3-0 deficit and went on to win the league title.

That was a big mountain. And they climbed it one step at a time.

“We’ve just got to play our best game one time, and then we’ll worry about the next game,” Smith said. “But we have to find a way to score more while playing the exact same defense.

“Is it hard? Yes. Are we going to give it everything we got? Yes. I think you’re going to see our best game in the series.”

AMY Childs has signed up for the next series of Celeb SAS: Who Dares Wins.

The former TOWIE star, 35, will appear on the next series of the gruelling Channel 4 show which is expected to air next year.

A source said: “Amy is ready to be pushed to her limit on the show.

“She wants to prove to herself and her children that she has what it takes.

“Amy has also been working hard with her personal trainer to be physically ready to take on the challenge.”

Earlier this month Amy tied the knot with her long-term boyfriend Billy Delbosq at Marylebone Town Hall in London.

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Meanwhile Amy has also faced cruel backlash from trolls online over her drastic weight loss.

She also faced further turmoil last year when her mum Julie was rushed to hospital following a heart attack last year.

Speaking to OK! Magazine, she said: “People don’t know what is going on behind closed doors.

“I’m going through so much at the minute that the weight has fallen off me. I worry about my mum constantly.

“She’s very emotional – she thinks she’s going to have another heart attack.”

The Sun has also revealed that Married At First Sight star Ella Morgan will compete on the military challenge show.

It will be the first time that a famous trans person has competed on Channel 4’s military challenge show, which films its ninth series this summer.

Meanwhile Freddy Brazier is also in talks to compete on the show – following in the footsteps of his dad Jeff Brazier, who starred on the show in 2019.

Former Special Forces big dogs Billy Billingham, Jason Fox, Rudy Reyes, and Chris Oliver will all be on hand to push the stars to their limit.

Series eight, which went out in January, was given a Team UK v Team Australia theme and produced in conjunction with Aussie broadcaster Channel 7.

Seven stars from each country were pitted against each other to find out which of them were capable of completing the course.

Former Love Islanders Dani Dyer and Gabby Allen as well as retired Australian swimmer Emily Seebohm were crowned the winners.

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.

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.

Celtics hold off 76ers

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.

Spurs beat Trail Blazers without Wembanyama

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.

Beckett Sennecke and Leo Carlsson scored 42 seconds apart in the third period, Mikael Granlund had a goal and two assists, and the Ducks celebrated their first home playoff game in eight years with a 7-4 victory over the Edmonton Oilers and a 2-1 series lead on Friday night.

Jeffrey Viel and Jackson LaCombe also scored in the third and Lukas Dostal made 20 saves for the upstart Ducks, who have poured in 16 goals in three games to take an early lead in this first-round series against the two-time Western Conference champion Oilers. Mason McTavish and Alex Killorn scored early goals.

Backed by a raucous sellout crowd hungry for Orange County’s first playoff hockey since 2018, the Ducks overcame their season-long defensive shortcomings by outscoring the powerhouse Oilers even after Connor McDavid recorded his first points of the series.

Game 4 is Sunday night in Anaheim.

McDavid had a power-play goal in the third period and an assist for Edmonton. Vasily Podkolzin, Kasperi Kapanen and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins also scored, and Connor Ingram stopped 32 shots.

Appropriately for a defense-deficient series, the Ducks capitalized on two transition sequences early in the third to take control.

Moments after Sennecke ripped a wrist shot for the tiebreaking goal and the precocious rookie’s first playoff point, Carlsson clinically finished a textbook 2-on-1 rush with Troy Terry.

McDavid trimmed the Oilers’ deficit with a fortunate deflection off Pavel Mintyukov’s stick, but the Oilers superstar short-circuited another power play later in the third by cross-checking Tyson Hinds.

Viel then flipped home a backhand with 3:03 left to cap a strong game by the Ducks’ fourth line, and LaCombe lofted home an empty-net goal all the way from the Ducks’ goal line to seal Anaheim’s first home playoff victory since May 14, 2017, in the conference finals against Nashville.

The clubs split the series’ first two games in Edmonton, but the Ducks demonstrated they could stay with the playoff-tested Oilers despite the obvious deficiencies of an inexperienced group that allowed more goals this season than any other playoff team.

Anaheim rode the wave of crowd energy and dominated play early in Game 3, putting 20 shots on Ingram in the first period. Killorn tied it for Anaheim in the second with his 39th career playoff goal.

Oilers forwards Adam Henrique and Jason Dickinson missed Game 3 with injuries.

The only thing that would make the job JJ Redick is doing better is if he were wearing a suit.

If the Lakers’ coach looked the part.

The part of a lawyer, walking down his opposition in the open court. He delivered an airtight opening argument that was stunning for how much stronger it was than opposing coach Ime Udoka’s. And evidence of how far Redick has come.

Now, look, your honor: The short-on-star-power Lakers winning both games at home to take a 2-0 series lead over the heavily favored Houston Rockets in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs? That’s a compelling start.

But Redick, James and Associates are only halfway there; they’re still proving their case.

They still need to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that their top role players can perform as persuasively on the road as they have at home.

And they’ll probably have to prove they can effectively rebut the Rockets’ adjustments, though those are merely conceptual at this point, they’re so overdue.

Two games into this series it looks to us, the members of the jury, as though Redick has taken this allegedly open-and-shut case, this slam dunk of a trial — and thrown down a reverse.

The Lakers look like the better team. Like the better-constructed team, even. And that’s without injured stars Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, who are hustling back as fast as their bodies will let them from hamstring and oblique injuries, respectively.

They look like the better-coached team.

It’s the opposing counsel who looks dressed for the part, Udoka in a sweatsuit like a dad at a Saturday morning youth league trying to get his players to get along, with just one play in his pocket: Give the ball to Kevin.

Meanwhile, the legal team minding the game in the Lakers’ huddle is running laps around the guys on the other bench.

Coach JJ Redick and forward LeBron James have helped the Lakers earn a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven playoff series agains the favored Rockets without injured guards Luke Doncic and Austin Reaves.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Exhibit A: One of the game’s greatest scorers, Kevin Durant, has been forced by his own team to do a lot of ballhandling chores too. So the Lakers have been double-teaming and blitzing Durant all over the court, compelling him into nine turnovers in Tuesday’s 101-94 Game 2 victory at Crypto.com Arena. Using the same strategy, they’ve turned him over 20 times in his last three meetings with the Lakers, going back to the regular season.

Exhibit B: By playing drop, hedge, man and mixing zone defenses, the Lakers also have been, according to Marcus Smart’s postgame testimony, “throwing different packages” at the Rockets. It’s working: Houston has failed to score 100 points in either game of the series.

Exhibit C: The Lakers are putting the ball in Smart’s hands, using him in a way that forces the Rockets to defend honestly, instead of sagging off him. They’ve also been intentional with how they leverage Luke Kennard, running actions that overrule his reluctance to shoot. It should please the court to see the man shooting 65.4% (17 for 26) from the field in the first two games!

With these tactics and others, the Lakers seem almost to be creating new precedent for the laws of basketball, because what do you mean the Rockets have taken 44 more shots but have been outscored by 16 points?

What makes it so wildly impressive is that before the Lakers brought this thing to trial, it looked as though it would be thrown out on the grounds of insufficient star power.

With just 41-year-old LeBron James to carry them without Doncic and Reaves, Houston seemed so much stronger. Physically, on the boards, in just about every way — except in terms of chemistry, camaraderie and communication.

Even Udoka’s record seemed superior. In 2021-22, his first (and only) season as the Boston Celtics’ coach, he led them to the NBA Finals.

Redick, in his first playoffs as a coach last year, showed such contempt for his own team and made an absolute mockery of the game plan that got the Lakers to the postseason in the first place. Remember how he panicked, refusing even to approach the bench to give his preferred five a breather for a full losing half in Game 4 against the Minnesota Timberwolves? The little tantrum he threw when asked about it before the Game 5 finale?

The Duke graduate and self-proclaimed “basketball sicko” has appeared much more prepared this time, much more composed.

He seems to be in his element, problem-solving alongside his former podcast host, James, who has stepped right up with 47 points, 20 assists and 16 rebounds — including some highlight-reel dunks and passes — through the first two games. We are all witnesses.

Still, this thing is going to last at least two more games, and possibly more, before we get a verdict.

And if it goes the Lakers’ way?

Congratulations, JJ, you will have earned the reputation as a coach who can take on the toughest cases and win them. And do we have an impossible challenge for you next on the docket.

The top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder are young, deep, and up 2-0 in their first-round series against the Phoenix Suns. The defending-champion Thunder have run the Lakers out of court in every meeting this season, beating them by an average of 29 points. And they’re clever too; referees — those judges on the court — always seem so sympathetic to OKC.

Would the Lakers have any chance? Redick is proving he might be able to make a case.

The Colorado Avalanche rode swagger, poise and the league’s stingiest goaltender to the best record in the NHL this season. And nothing about that formula has changed in the postseason, with goals from Gabriel Landeskog, Cale Makar, Artturi Lehkonen and Brock Nelson giving Colorado a 4-2 win Thursday over the Kings and a commanding 3-0 lead in their best-of-seven first-round playoff series.

The Kings, who have lost their last six first-round playoff series, need a victory at home Sunday to extend their season. Their goals in Game 3 came from Trevor Moore in the second period and Adrian Kempe on a third-period power play.

“They’re best team in the league for a reason. But we’re right there,” forward Quinton Byfield said. “We’re a confident group.”

“One game at home. Must-win game,” defenseman Drew Doughty added. “Everyone’s going to give everything they’ve got. We’ve got to win that one, and then hopefully get to go back to Denver.”

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews celebrates a goal by defenseman Cale Makar on Kings goaltender Anton Forsberg during the second period of Game 3 Thursday at Crypto.com Arena.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

The difference in the series has been Avalanche goalie Scott Wedgewood, who was nearly perfect again, making 24 saves to place the Kings 60 minutes away from the offseason.

Anton Forsberg, playing in the postseason for the first time, has been almost as good in goal for the Kings, though he was victimized by two fluke goals and an empty-netter.

“Both goalies in the series have been unbelievable,” Kings coach D.J. Smith said. “Give Wedgewood credit. This guy looks like he’s putting his name on the circuit as a big-time goalie.”

The Avalanche, who certainly haven’t needed many lucky breaks in this series, got one early in the first period when Landeskog spun and launched a wild wrister from the blue line that went well wide of the net, only to have the puck carom off the end boards and into the net off Forsberg’s right skate blade.

The goal was the second in as many games for the Colorado captain.

The Kings then got their own break six minutes into the second period when Alex Laferriere jumped Brett Kulak’s clearing pass in the neutral jump and fed Byfield, whose pass into the crease struck Moore’s leg and ricocheted past Wedgewood to tie the score.

Colorado defenseman Devon Toews reaches for the puck against Kings right wing Quinton Byfield in the first period.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Colorado needed less than seven minutes to get the lead back, with Makar getting the puck along the boards on the left wing, skating into space at the point, then zipping a wrist shot through heavy traffic and just under the crossbar.

The Avalanche then increased the advantage 7:39 in the final period after Kempe fanned a shot from the point. Lehkonen collected the loose puck and took it the length of the ice before deflecting a centering pass off Kempe’s skate and by Forsberg for a short-handed goal, his second score of the series.

That appeared to put the game away, but after the Kings pulled Forsberg for an extra attacker, Kempe halved the deficit on a tip-in with 4:02 to play. But then Nelson forced a turnover and scored into the empty net with 2:18 left.

The six goals combined matched the total number from the first two games in Colorado.

“We’ve got to keep doing a lot of the things that we are doing,” Doughty said. “Obviously, we got to clean up giving up some of these chances that we’re giving up.”

Kings goalie Anton Forsberg covers the puck as Colorado left wing Gabriel Landeskog battles for it in the second period.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

The Kings’ penalty kill, which ranked 30th in the 32-team league during the regular season, has been brilliant against the Avalanche, turning back all nine Colorado power plays. That, plus stellar play for Forsberg in goal, has frustrated the NHL’s top-scoring team.

But against Wedgewood, the Kings have mustered little offense, scoring just four goals in the series — three times on the power play and once off Moore’s leg.

“We’d like to get more than two goals. Against this team, I don’t think it’s enough,” Doughty said. “I don’t think we’re creating enough grade-A chances on Wedgewood. He has played well, so for us to beat them, we’ve got to wear them down in the D-zone, make them tired and score goals that way. And we haven’t done that enough.”

They’re guaranteed just one more chance to turn that around.

“There’s no quit in there,” Smith said of the Kings’ locker room. “And I think you’ll see our best game. To a man, we want to give them a real good outing and push this series back to Colorado.”

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.

ATLANTA — A man charged in a string of shootings near Atlanta that left three people dead, including a Department of Homeland Security employee who was walking her dog, died in jail Tuesday night, authorities said.

Olaolukitan Adon Abel, 26, was found unresponsive in his cell, according to a statement from the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office. Officials provided medical treatment to the U.S. Navy veteran, but he was later pronounced dead.

The official cause of death has not been determined, but officials don’t suspect foul play, according to the office. Officials are conducting an internal review.

Adon Abel was accused of killing Prianna Weathers, 31, and Homeland Security auditor Lauren Bullis, 40, in last week’s attack. Authorities also had been seeking an additional murder charge for Tony Mathews, 49, who was injured in the attack and died Sunday.

Authorities haven’t offered a potential motive for the shootings. It’s unclear if Adon Abel knew any of the victims. Police have said they believe at least one was targeted at random.

Adon Abel was represented by a public defender, and the state council overseeing defenders’ work said Wednesday in a statement that his death denies him “the opportunity to contest the charges in court.”

“We also regret that the families, friends, and colleagues of the victims may now be left without the fuller answers a public legal process might have provided about how these deaths occurred,” the statement said. “That is a painful and sobering reality for everyone affected.”

Adon Abel faced state malice murder, aggravated assault and gun charges over last week’s attacks, court records show. He also faced a federal charge of illegally possessing the gun as a person previously convicted of a felony, which was filed Friday.

His roommates told the Associated Press that shortly before the shootings, he got in an intense argument over the air conditioning in their home and stormed out. He lived with six others in separate units of the home.

The United Kingdom native was granted U.S. citizenship in 2022 while serving in the U.S. Navy and stationed in the San Diego area.

The attacks in Georgia quickly drew the Trump administration’s attention, with Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin raising concern that Adon Abel was granted U.S. citizenship when Democrat Joe Biden was president. Mullin cataloged a litany of Adon Abel’s previous alleged crimes, but it is unclear whether any of them occurred before he became a citizen.

Military records show the Adon Abel enlisted in the Navy in 2020, last serving in the Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron in Coronado, Calif., and as a petty officer received a Navy “E” Ribbon for superior performance for battle readiness.

Adon Abel pleaded guilty in October 2024 to assaulting two police officers with a deadly weapon and attacking another person when he was stationed in Coronado, near San Diego, according to California court records.

The attorney who represented him in that case, Brandon Naidu, has described him as polite, calm and soft-spoken in their interactions. He said Wednesday that his obligation to protect the confidentiality of their conversations limits what he can say publicly but, “Mental health was absolutely at the center of his San Diego case.” ““t was fueled by suicidal ideation as a result of mental health that he was self-treating with substances,” he said.

He added: “Nobody wins in this. We’ll never know the motives, what could have been done beforehand or even afterward. Nobody gets proper closure on this.”

Hanna and Golden write for the Associated Press. Hanna reported from Topeka, Kan., and Golden, from Seattle.

Anna Haugh and Grace Dent made their joint MasterChef debut on Tuesday

A fresh series of MasterChef has landed on the BBC with a new hosting duo.

Series 22 sees celebrated chef Anna Haugh and restaurant critic Grace Dent take over from Gregg Wallace and John Torode as judges. The pair will test 48 of the country’s best amateur cooks with an array of spectacular challenges.

The first heat of this year’s competition aired on Tuesday (April 21), with six talented cooks from all walks of life heading into the kitchen to battle it out for a coveted MasterChef apron.

They include digital portfolio manager Rosdip, 33, construction project company director Brendan, 57, tech programme manager Jhané, 29, environmental consultant Sabina, 49, accounts assistant Samantha, 39, and IT manager Matt, 41.

Just moments into the episode, viewers were left divided as Anna and Grace made their joint debut. Some fans were frustrated with the pair’s facial expressions, with one person writing on X (formerly Twitter): “I’m assuming it must be in the contract that judges/presenters on MasterChef must express shocked/surprised faces at every opportunity possible! Gregg and John did it for years and it looks like it’s continuing!”

Another added: “Someone tell Anna that she doesn’t have to replicate Gregg’s surprised face every time a contestant tells her what they are going to be cooking,” while a third said: “I can’t watch #MasterChef any longer. [Anna] and her daft facial expressions.”

A fourth fan echoed the sentiment: “Why do those two presenters keep making such stupid faces?”

Meanwhile, other viewers were delighted with Anna and Grace’s debut, with one person writing: “Loving the two ladies, Grace and Anna running the MasterChef kitchen.”

Another added: “Love Anna and Grace in this series,” while a third said: “Absolutely love Anna.” A fourth fan commented: “Loving Grace and Anna on #MasterChef.”

During the episode, Anna and Grace put their trust in the amateur’s taste buds as they introduced the Signature Dish round, which saw the contestants make their favourite dish from home.

The cooks who made the best two dishes, Rosdip and Jhané, were immediately rewarded with a MasterChef apron, while the other four fought it out for the last two aprons in the Classic Recipe Test.

The amateurs were each given the same recipe for one of Anna’s favourite brunch dishes, which put core cookery skills to the test.

The successful group of cooks, along with their newly-earned aprons, had one more hurdle to jump to secure their quarter-final place.

Anna and Grace invited last year’s final three – champion Harry Maguire and finalists Claire Syrenne and Sophie Sugrue – to sample the food on offer.

They tasted two courses from each of the cooks, before Anna and Grace revealed the three contestants who would be going through to the quarter-finals.

MasterChef season 22 is available to stream on BBC iPlayer

HE came second on Eurovision at 2022 with his song Space Man.

Now Sam Ryder is gunning for a first place finish, after signing up to BBC series Celebrity Race Across The World.

And he is in good company, as Came Here For Love singer Ella Eyre is also taking part.

A source said: “Sam loves a challenge and he wanted to test his mettle off stage.

“He signed up with his tour manager Kaz Coles.

“Ella also decided to give Celebrity Race Across The World a go after being tapped up by the casting team.

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“A challenge like this is definitely not in Ella’s comfort zone but she wanted to experience something new and push herself. Both Sam and Ella are competitive and they’re in it to win it.

“They filmed the show earlier this year but their fans will have to wait until it airs before they can see who did the best.”

Earlier this month, I revealed that Sky Sports legend Jeff Stelling had signed up to take part with his son Matt.

They’re also competing against Junior and Princess Andre — who are making their reality TV contest debut together.

On Friday, Sam was one of Chris Evans’ first guests on his new run of TFI Unplugged on Channel 4, to promote his telly series Your Song with Paloma Faith and Alison Hammond.

Sam’s show invites amateur singers to take to the stage in a live roadshow across the UK.

Sam explained: “It’s berserk. We go up and down the country, we bring a stage with us for people who have probably never sung in public before with a live band. They come, share a story and sing a song that’s attributed to that. The connection you see being made is beautiful.”

On working with Paloma and Alison, Sam joked: “They’re mad as a box of frogs but great to be around. All of our laughs are so cackly, it’s unreal.

“The three of us laughing together is like the Witches Of Eastwick.”

Sam added: “There is no winning a record deal. There is an event at the end of it and every singer is invited — they rinse the free bar, and a couple of people from each round perform on the night. That is the prize.

“It’s a show that’s got heart.”

LOOK MUM, I’M ALL SET

THERE is less than a month to go until Eurovision and the UK act is now out of the gates, with Look Mum No Computer giving his first live performance of zany track Eins, Zwei, Drei.

The singer– whose real name is Sam Battle – performed at the London Eurovision Party on Sunday night, but admitted it was a struggle to get there after becoming a dad less than a fortnight ago.

In an exclusive chat with Bizarre’s Howell, he confessed: “The concept of sleep is something I fondly miss.”

But it isn’t just his newborn Max who has taken up his time, as he has also built his set for the contest in Vienna.

The YouTuber and inventor said: “Just before we went to the hospital for the baby, I was finishing the props – making and soldering all the bits for Eurovision.

“I didn’t build all of the props – the BBC didn’t trust my welding! – but I’ve built the synthesiser bits for it, and it’s already on a lorry on the way to Vienna.”

Sam has also been working on his voice and dance moves as he prepares for the contest, which starts on May 12.

He added: “I’ve been singing, and I’ve also been working out. I just need to get my stamina up.”

On his staging, he said: “It’s quite complicated. There are some things that require coordination, which is not my forte. I’ve got two left feet.

But (choreographer) Benke Rydman, who I’m working with on the stage setup – he’s very much pushing my boundaries.”

Also at the event in London on Sunday was Boy George, who features on the San Marino act Senhit’s song Superstar.

He was in chipper spirits before the show and spent over an hour talking to journalists, so I’m sure he’ll be hoping to one-up our British act at the final on May 16.

ARNIE TO BACK AUSTRIA

HE is the most famous living Austrian and despite it being rather at odds with his macho persona, Arnold Schwarzenegger has been invited back to his home nation to attend the Eurovision final.

I’m told that organisers are preparing for the Terminator star to be in the audience at the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, with the hope that his presence will help celebrate Austrian culture and draw in viewers.

Arnie already has a surprising soft spot for the contest after meeting with 2022’s Ukrainian winners KALUSH ORCHESTRA and then starring in the music video to their song Shchedryi Vechir in 2023.

Reflecting on the response after they won, frontman Oleh Psiuk previously said: “In Los Angeles, we met Arnold, who has been actively supporting Ukrainians since the early days of the war.

“He invited us over to his house and came out to greet us with a pet donkey.

“We talked about the situation in Ukraine and thanked him for his support and shared how important it was to us.”

Unfortunately though, I don’t think the movie hero’s donkey will be coming with him to the final.

APPLE Music is getting behind Eurovision in a big way, with the streaming service conducting interviews with all the key stars which will air in the run-up to the event.

And you can get to the heart of this year’s songs on Apple Music’s Eurovision 2026 official playlist, which has translated and phonetic lyrics for each of the tracks.

NOW WOODY TELLS HIS OWN TOY STORY

WITH Toy Story 5 hitting cinemas on June 19, the bigwigs over at Mattel invited Bizarre to visit their top-secret studios in LA – where characters Woody and Buzz were once again working their magic before our eyes.

Nick Karamanos at Mattel revealed: “We are bringing to life what happened in Andy’s room for the first time.” (Andy is the central child character in the original film.)

And that means fans of the films won’t just hear Tom Hanks and Tim Allen voicing the characters on screen – they’ll be able to hear them having full-blown conversations in their own homes.

The new Toy Story 5 toy range lets Buzz and Woody actually talk to each other, with no imagination required.

And Hollywood star Tom’s brother Jim Hanks was brought into the studio to bring the speaking toy version of Woody to life.

Mattel designer Baxter Crane explained: “He sounds just like him (Tom), and he knows how to sound like him. He said, ‘To be Tom you’ve just got to yell more, like whatever you wanna say you’ve just got to yell it instead.’

“And it really worked – he sounds just like his brother.”

The craftsmanship behind it all is next level, with Nick revealing that Mattel still uses manual sewing machines to make the characters’ clothes.

Nick explained: “When we think about Toy Story and taking inspiration, a lot of it is just being true to what the characters are and what is the best way to bring them to life.”

It’s not just Toy Story characters being reimagined either, with Camila Mendes, Idris Elba and Nicholas Galitzine all working with Mattel to create figures for Masters Of The Universe.

Andy and his pals will go on sale this Sunday, just in time to get us all excited about the film’s release.

SECRET SOLO SPOT FOR STONES’ RONNIE

THE ROLLING STONES are coming back this summer with their new album Foreign Tongues – but I’m told any plans for Sir Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood to take the record on the road are still up for debate.

Despite this, I hear fans of the Stones will be able to see Ronnie in action at a top-secret gig later this year.

My music moles say he is putting on a special, intimate show at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, London, on August 31.

They revealed: “Ronnie is doing a show and some big rock names will join him. This isn’t a Stones gig, so it’s not with Mick and Keith, it’s other well-known industry names.

“So far, he’s got Imelda May on board to sing and Ronnie is currently talking to other artists about getting involved.

“He absolutely loves to play live. The show should be announced next week, with tickets on sale soon after.”

Confirming the gig, Ronnie told me: “I’m looking forward to kickin’ ass with my back catalogue and some new songs – look out London!”

I revealed last month that the band was back with a brand new record, and that the legends had signed up actress Odessa A’Zion to star in their comeback video.

Last week, they proved their fan base is still crazy for their music. The Stones released an ultra-limited white label vinyl single, Rough And Twisted, under the alias The Cockroaches – with all copies snapped up within seconds.

They are now being flogged online for more than a grand.

HUGH’S PREMIERE LEAGUE

HUGH JACKMAN and his actress girlfriend Sutton Foster couldn’t have looked happier as they attended his latest movie premiere – three years after he split from his wife.

The Greatest Showman actor stepped out in a blue suit to the launch of The Sheep Detectives in New York City on Sunday evening, alongside Sutton in a sequin gown.

He moved on after his 27-year marriage to Deborra-Lee Furness came to an end, with their divorce finalised last summer.

Inside the ornate Bovard Auditorium, Larry David kept a full audience in stitches as he discussed the creation and legacy of his improv hit, “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” which concluded in 2024 after 12 seasons.

In a conversation with Lorraine Ali — who wrote “No Lessons Learned: The Making of Curb Your Enthusiasm,” which retraces the show’s long run with cast interviews, episode guides and behind-the-scenes material — David reflected on the separation between himself and the abrasive on-screen persona he adopted for more than two decades.

“I wish I was that Larry David,” he said.

David spoke about the outrageous audition process for “Curb,” wherein actors tried to navigate a brief written scenario without any dialogue to guide them as David lambasted them in character. Out of this process came iconic one-liners and beloved characters, such as Leon, played by J.B. Smoove.

“People bring out certain things, and when I would act with them, some of them would make me seem funny,” David said. “I go, ‘Oh, that’s good — let’s give him a part.’”

David cited “Palestinian Chicken” as one of his favorite episodes of the show. In the episode, David is caught between a delicious new Palestinian chicken restaurant, a Palestinian girlfriend and an outraged inner circle of Jewish friends.

He also spoke briefly about his upcoming episodic HBO series, “Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Happiness,” a historical spoof that will retrace United States history for the country’s 250th founding anniversary. The series will premiere on Aug. 7.

“A lot of wigs, costumes, beards — fake beards,” David said. “Nothing worse than fake beards.”

The controversial ending of “Seinfeld,” which David co-wrote with comedian Jerry Seinfeld, was polarizing among fans when it was released, David said. After a recent rewatch, however, David said he thought it was “pretty good,” to a round of applause from the audience.

Near the end of the panel, an audience member asked a question some definitely had on their mind: Will “Seinfeld” ever get a reunion?

“No,” David replied without missing a beat.

The former England footballer is said to be in talks to appear on Celebrity Traitors following the success of series one which saw Alan Carr crowned winner

Peter Crouch successfully pivoted from being a legendary footballer to a broadcaster, showing off his wit and likability. And over the years he has extended his fanbase.

So it comes as no surprise that he has now caught the attention of BBC bosses who have earmarked him to appear in the next series of Celebrity Traitors.

According to reports, the ex England footballer, 45, is one of the major names that had been thrown into the mix as bosses want the same level of success that was generated off the back of series one.

On the first celebrity spin show which aired last year, Alan Carr fought off all his contenders to be crowned winner back in November.

A source told The Sun: “Producers think Peter would be brilliant. He’s sporty, competitive and really funny.”

They added: “They know landing him would be a big coup and bring a new type of viewer to the series.” If it is confirmed that Peter is part of this year’s line-up, he is set to make history as the first ex professional footballer to be signed to the show.

Peter has previously shown interest in the show. He once said: “I love Celebrity Traitors but I don’t know if I could go on it. I’d be a traitor. Being a traitor is the one.”

This comes after the show’s host Claudia Winkleman confirmed that a number of high profile names had been presented to her ahead of filming series two.

While on The One Show to promote her new BBC chat show, she was asked if there were a number of big names set to appear on the upcoming game show.

She replied saying: “There certainly are. The people who make it are extraordinary and they had to repeat the people twice to me because I was like, ‘Huh, are you joking? Come again.’ So, we’re incredibly lucky.”

She added: “Yeah, I hope so. We’re so grateful that people want to come and play the game. And the people who said yes for series one, I still can’t believe it.”

Claudia continued: “I was shaking when you see Stephen Fry walking around the castle and Alan Carr, Ruth Codd, all of these people I was obsessed by. I’m very excited. But I can’t say anything else, don’t make eye contact with me.”

Ahead of the official confirmation a number of names have reportedly been shortlisted in the hope of joining the show. The first being iconic actor Stephen Graham, famed for the success of A Thousand Blows and Adolescence.

A TV insider reportedly told the Daily Mail: “They are absolutely desperate to nail down Stephen for the show. He would be their star signing. He is one of the most formidable actors of our generation, and the nation adores him, but no one really knows what he’s like as a person, so there is a definite hunger among viewers to see what he is like in a more reality-based setting.”

Earlier this year, it was speculated that Danny Dyer, best known for his role as Mick Carter in EastEnders, was also being lined up. Previously, the actor had shown no interest in the game show until he saw the first series with Alan Carr as champion.

Another source told the publication: “Danny was always top of The Celebrity Traitors wish list but had zero interest until seeing the fun and games last autumn. As soon as his tune changed, it was all systems go.”

They added: “Danny is a reality TV booker’s dream signing and will be incredible value, as he’s naturally funny but in a totally different way to Alan Carr.”

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