There was a good deal of optimism surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers as they entered Game 1 of their first-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday. It was the first Game 1 they played at home since 2012, and many have felt they have a real shot at winning this season’s NBA championship.
But the Timberwolves popped that optimism and have replaced it with a good amount of concern, at least for the time being.
After the Lakers got off to a 28-21 lead at the end of the first quarter, Minnesota dominated. It outscored the Lakers 38-20 in the second quarter and put up the first 11 points of the third period, and the Lakers never recovered. Minnesota was particularly lethal on the boards, and its 11 offensive rebounds allowed it to shoot a sizzling 21-of-42 from 3-point range. The Lakers’ defensive rotations were a bit slow, and they also gave up 25 fast-break points while only scoring six themselves.
While Anthony Edwards didn’t hurt the Lakers as much as some feared, Jaden McDaniels scored 25 points and Naz Reid had 23 points off the bench, and McDaniels and Reid combined to shoot an unbelievable 19-of-25 from the field.
Their 117-95 loss instantly puts lots of pressure on them to win Game 2, which will take place on Tuesday. Another loss in that game would put them in the intensive care unit, with the following two contests taking place in Minnesota.
Rui Hachimura: C
Hachimura started the game with undersized point guard Mike Conley guarding him. He took early advantage by hitting two 3-pointers in the first half of the first quarter, but he was almost unheard of afterward. The Lakers forward made only three of his nine overall shot attempts and scored just nine points in 30 minutes. He also had five rebounds and two assists.
Jaxson Hayes: D
Hayes made virtually no impact in this game. The Lakers tried to set him up for easy baskets off lob passes a few times, but none of them worked, and he missed both of his shot attempts and scored just one point on a free throw. He played just eight minutes, and his only other contribution was three rebounds.
Austin Reaves: C-minus
Reaves shot just 1-of-6 in the first half, and while he started to perk up afterward with 14 third-quarter points, that was about it as far as any positive contributions from him. He went scoreless in the fourth quarter as L.A. tried to mount a rally but ultimately failed to gain any real ground.
He finished 5-of-13 from the field and had a modest three assists and three rebounds to go along with an underwhelming 16 points.
Luka Doncic: A-minus
Doncic was the reason the Lakers held an early lead, as he scored 16 points in the first quarter. He was quiet in the second quarter, and he tried to keep his team alive with some nice play in the second half, but it wasn’t enough.
Minnesota put length on him and got in his jersey almost all over the court, including when he brought the basketball upcourt. He managed to shoot 12-of-22 overall, 5-of-10 from 3-point range and 8-of-9 from the free throw line to score 37 points, but he did have five turnovers and just one assist.
LeBron James: C-minus
James didn’t assert himself much in the first half. He went scoreless in the first quarter and ended the half just 4-of-10 from the field. He never really got himself going, as he ended up 8-of-18 from the field but scored just 19 points and had just three assists.
Interestingly, James only attempted two free throws, even though a good number of his shot attempts came close to the basket. His lack of assists was symptomatic of a team-wide problem, as L.A. only totaled 15 dimes and shot 39.8% from the field.
The team has to find a way to get James easier baskets. Perhaps it should look to post him up and attempt to make the Timberwolves move and shift around on defense.
Dorian Finney-Smith: D
Finney-Smith hit one of his three 3-point attempts and went 1-of-5 overall, limiting him to three points in 33 minutes. Defensively, he helped contain Anthony Edwards, who shot 8-of-22 and scored only 22 points, but he otherwise didn’t help the Lakers’ cause.
Jarred Vanderbilt: B-minus/B
In 14 minutes, Vanderbilt grabbed four rebounds and added two assists and one steal. But he scored only two points on 1-of-3 shooting, and overall, the Lakers’ bench was weak offensively with just 13 points. Meanwhile, Minnesota’s reserves put up 43 points in this game.
Gabe Vincent: D
In 25 minutes, Vincent went just 1-of-3 from the field. He contributed three points, one assist and one block.
Alex Len, Shake Milton, Jordan Goodwin, Bronny James, Dalton Knecht: Incomplete
Of these five players, only Knecht got into the scoring column. The rookie sharpshooter hit two of his four shot attempts, including a 3-pointer, and he scored five points to go along with three rebounds. Len had four rebounds, and Goodwin had one assist.
#Timberwolves #shock #L.A #Game
]]>The Knicks' Game 1 win over the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the NBA playoffs didn't come without its warts. And although the game will be remembered by New York's furious fourth-quarter comeback, it's also a reminder that the team still has a ways to go to reach its final destination.
Still, Saturday night's win was important for the Knicks who will be right back at it on Monday night for Game 2.
"It’s important, no matter what game it is," Jalen Brunson said. "When you get a win it does a lot for your confidence, but tomorrow will be a reset then we’ll refocus and then get ready for Game 2."
Before the series began, one of the biggest questions was how would New York be able to contain Cade Cunningham who torched the Knicks in four regular season games this year.
OG Anunoby got the first crack at the 23-year-old and held Cunningham to 21 points on 8-of-21 shooting after the guard averaged 30.8 points against New York this season and 26.1 points overall. Cunningham did well to involve others with 12 assists, but it was far from his best showing on the court.
But even with their superstar held in check slightly, the Pistons entered the fourth quarter with an eight-point lead — one that evaporated thanks to the Knicks' 21-0 run showcasing the team's grit as well as playoff experience (and Detroit's lack thereof).
"I think we’ve done a great job of fighting through adversity all year," Karl-Anthony Towns said.
As important as a win Saturday was for New York, head coach Tom Thibodeau knows it's now on to the next one. He also knows what the Knicks need to work on to finish the best-of-7 series out on top.
"It’s one win and then we gotta reset and get ready for the next one," he said. "… There’s a lot of things that we can do better."
Towns understands and echoed his coach's sentiment after playing in his first postseason game at Madison Square Garden, finishing with 23 points, 11 rebounds and five assists.
"Of course you want to throw the first punch, but it’s only one game," Towns said. "We gotta continue to execute at a high level and we gotta continue to stay connected if we want to beat a great team."
The Pistons will make adjustments of their own and it'll be interesting to see if New York sticks with Anunoby on Cunningham and if Cunningham will be able to respond.
As for role players who stepped up for Detroit that the Knicks should keep an eye on, Tobias Harris, Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. combined for 64 points. In fact, the Pistons were one bad quarter away from being up 1-0 in the series.
"Gotta give them a lot of credit, they pushed us," Brunson said. "We just found a way in the fourth quarter to get stops and find a way to win."
#Knicks #Game #win #Pistons #lightly #focusing #improving #Game
]]>Cal has made a habit of finding its way back to players in recent years. Quaron Adams is the next one in line. The South Dakota transfer receiver was pursued by the Bears out of high school before he ultimately found his way to Iowa State.
Last season, the 5-foot-7, 175-pound speedster had a breakout campaign with 18 catches for 543 yards receiving and 5 touchdowns. He also rushed for 100 yards and a touchdown.
In Adams, the Bears add a big-play threat to the receiver group after he produced an average of 30.2 yards per catch in 2024. His best catch came on a 71-yard connection against UC Davis late in the season while he also had 70-yard run against Tarleton State the week before.
Those were just two of the explosive plays for the Phoenix, Arizona native who played at Chandler High School. His best showing came against Indiana State in early November when he had two big touchdown catches that accounted for 133 yards.
Adams is the second addition from the transfer portal for the Bears this spring following the recent addition of Chattanooga edge rusher Chris Victor this week.
He is the third receiver the Bears have added this offseason joining UNLV transfer inside receiver Jacob De Jesus and Arkansas transfer Dazmin James, both of whom just wrapped up their first spring at Cal.
Adams was a three-star recruit out of Chandler High School in the 2022 class who added offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon and Kansas in addition to the Bears before he ultimately decided to move away from the West to play for the Cyclones.
In two seasons in Ames, Adams did not get an opportunity to see the field after redshirting in 2022 and not making any appearances before transferring following the 2023 season.
Adams will have two seasons of remaining eligibility with the Bears.
#South #Dakota #Quaron #Adams #announces #transfer #commitment #Cal
]]>Sammy Smith was declared the winner of the Xfinity race Saturday night at Rockingham Speedway after Jesse Love’s car failed post-race inspection.
Love took the checkered flag in the first Xfinity race at Rockingham since 2004 but his car was found to have a violation with the rear suspension. NASCAR stated that Love’s car violated rule 14.14.2.I-5.H (All mating surfaces between the truck trailing arm and the U-bolt saddle must be in complete contact with each other).
Love’s disqualification elevated Smith to the winner. It is Smith’s first win of the season and his third in his Xfinity career.
Parker Retzlaff is now credited with second place. That is his career-best finish in Xfinity. Harrison Burton finishes third, Brennan Poole is fourth and Taylor Gray completes the top five.
Love is credited with finishing 37th.
Also, Justin Bonsignore was disqualified for having more than two lug nuts not safe and secure at the end of the race. Bonsignore is credited with finishing 38th in the 38-car field.
#Sammy #Smith #declared #Xfinity #winner #Rockingham #Jesse #Love #disqualified
Things weren’t looking good for the Knicks in Game 1.
After a back-and-forth first two quarters, the Pistons came out of the locker room resurged and they began taking things over — suddenly New York found themselves trailing by eight points heading into the final frame.
Then, everything changed in a hurry.
The Pistons opened the fourth taking a five-second violation and the Knicks were able to build off of the energy from the fired up Madison Square Garden crowd, as Karl-Anthony Towns knocked down back-to-back baskets.
New York ran with the momentum, scoring the next 21 points before Detroit’s Malik Beasley knocked down a three, pushing themselves back in front and reestablishing the double digit advantage in less then five minutes.
The Pistons made a push down the stretch, but the Knicks never looked back, holding on for the Game 1 victory.
“We didn't end the third quarter the way we wanted to," Jalen Brunson said. "But there was never a doubt that we were just going to lay down without a fight — we just had to figure things out and just keep battling, and it turned rather quickly."
Brunson was in the middle of the surge as always, but easily the biggest boost came from veteran reserve Cameron Payne, who stepped up tremendously after a quiet first half showing.
Payne had just three points over the first three quarters — but during that stretch he simply couldn't miss as he knocked down 4-of-5 shots including a pair of threes to give him 11 of his 14 points during the final frame.
He was also a key factor in forcing the momentum changing five-second turnover.
“We all know what Cam is capable of — that’s what he does,” OG Anunoby said.
“He’s catalyst, he gets in there and makes things happen,” Thibodeau added. “The thing about him is he knows exactly who he is. He comes in with great energy every game, and he prepares himself well — he gave us a huge spark, but that’s who he’s been all season.”
Payne, who averaged 6.9 points during his first year in New York, received a rousing ovation from the MSG faithful as he was subbed out late in the fourth quarter — it was an ovation and performance he's been waiting for all season.
"It's fun man," he said. "It's a hell of an atmosphere. I was on the opposing side of it last year and it was tough, it was loud as s–t in there. Being on the flip side of it felt good, that ovation felt good. I've been waiting on that all year, how I played today all year, so I'm just grateful.
"I thank God for everything that happened tonight, I'm just grateful to still be playing in this league."
#Cam #Payne #served #catalyst #Knicks #fourth #quarter #surge #Game #win #Pistons
]]>TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — New York Yankees leadoff hitter Ben Rice bruised his left elbow when hit by an 88.2 mph slider from Manuel Rodríguez in the fourth inning of Saturday’s 10-8, 10-inning loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.
Rice, who bats left-handed, initially remained in the game and scored on a sacrifice fly that gave New York a 6-1 lead. He then went for an X-ray at St. Joseph’s Hospital, which was negative.
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“It’s definitely pretty sore,” said Rice, who added that he never lost feeling in the elbow. “So, it’s just going to be day to day.”
Rice, who throws right-handed, said he thought the pitch hit both the joint and muscle. He was grateful no fracture was found.
“It seems like he’s doing better,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “Good news obviously on the X-ray. It seemed like he was getting a little more feeling back as the last hours unfolded.”
Rice did not anticipate needing more scans.
“I was definitely worried about it,” Rice said.
Starting because Giancarlo Stanton is hurt, Rice is hitting .292 with three doubles, one triple, five homers and nine RBIs in 19 games. Rice was hit on his left foot by a Shane Baz curveball in the first inning.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
#Xray #negative #Yankees #Ben #Rice #hit #left #elbow #pitch
]]>DENVER (AP) — The sizzling Los Angeles Clippers rolled into the playoffs as the NBA’s hottest team having won 18 of 21, including their last eight.
Kawhi Leonard was playing like his old self after dealing with injuries ever since joining the Clippers five years ago. James Harden increased his scoring average better than six points from a year ago and Ivaca Zubac had a breakout season in his eighth year in the league, setting career highs in points (16.8), rebounds (an NBA-best 12.6) and assists (2.7).
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The trio combined for 75 points in the Clippers’ first-round opener at Denver on Saturday, but Los Angeles came away 112-110 losers in overtime after ruining a 43-for-86 shooting performance with uncharacteristic sloppiness on offense.
“If you turn over 20 times against the team that is No. 1 in offensive transition, then you’re gonna lose the game,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue after Los Angeles blew a 15-point first-half lead.
The Clippers’ only hiccups in the last month were close losses to the two teams seeded first in each conference — 103-101 to West-leading Oklahoma City and 127-122 to the East-leading Cleveland Cavaliers.
Add to that exclusive list the Nuggets, who just 11 days earlier stunned the NBA by dismissing the winningest coach in franchise history and the general manager who connected the final pieces of the team’s only championship puzzle in 2023.
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The Nuggets improved to 4-0 under interim coach David Adelman, who watched his team fall behind by 15 points in the first half before clawing its way back against a red-hot team that had all five starters score in double figures and outscored the Nuggets both in the paint and on the break.
“We’re in good shape, we just have to do what we’re supposed to do,” Lue said. “We’ve talked about it, we can’t turn the ball over 20 times and expect to beat a good team. So, 20 turnovers for 29 points, it’s hard to beat a good team when you turn the ball over that many times.”
The Clippers jumped out to a 49-34 lead before the Nuggets awakened behind Nikola Jokic, who had 29 points, a dozen assists and nine rebounds.
“They got physical, they got more physical defensively. I thought Joker did a good job of mixing up his coverages of whether he’s going to blitz or be in a drop,” Lue said. “We just didn’t read it well once he did do that. I just thought their physicality really changed the game defensively.”
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Leonard said the Clippers need more of an attacking mindset for Game 2 on Monday night lest they go home down 2-0, and Harden lamented what he called the Clippers’ so many unforced errors.
“That’s the game right there,” Harden said. “It was nothing that they did, it’s us, all us.”
Actually, it was former teammate Russell Westbrook who forced the Clippers’ turnover on an inbounds pass with about 10 seconds left in overtime and the Nuggets ahead by 3.
The ball went off Harden, and Westbrook said it wasn’t so much that he read the play well, but that he knew just what he had to do to seal the Nuggets’ victory.
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“I just know that (inbounds) play,” from being there the previous two seasons, Westbrook said.
Harden said letting one slip away won’t derail the Clippers as they aim for a deep playoff run.
“It’s a little frustrating just because it is self-inflicted,” he said, “and it is something that we have been really good at these last few weeks.”
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
#Sizzling #Clippers #cooled #turnovers #Game #loss #overtime #Denver
]]>STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — Playing in Stanford’s football stadium, the school’s softball home game against rival California set the NCAA attendance record Saturday with a crowd of 13,207.
That surpassed the mark of 12,566 from the first day of the 2024 Women’s College World Series last May 30 in Oklahoma City. The regular-season record had been held by Oklahoma, which drew 9,259 against Oklahoma State earlier this month on April 9.
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No. 15 Stanford lost 10-8 on Saturday in the game dubbed “Big Swing” as Cal avoided a weekend sweep. Former star quarterback Andrew Luck, now the Stanford football team’s general manager, threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
Stanford is playing its home games this season in Stanford Stadium while its nearby ballpark receives a $50 million renovation.
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AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports
#Stanford #softball #team #sets #NCAA #attendance #record #playing #football #stadium #rival #California
]]>TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Brandon Lowe tied the score with a two-run single in a four-run ninth inning off Devin Williams, Jonathan Aranda hit a two-run homer in the 10th and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Yankees 10-8 Saturday to stop New York’s five-game winning streak.
Williams, an All-Star closer acquired from Milwaukee during the offseason, has a 9.00 ERA and has allowed runs in four of nine appearances. He has walked seven in eight innings.
Given an 8-4 lead, Williams allowed José Caballero’s one-out single on a chopper as third baseman Oswaldo Cabrera made a high throw, then walked No. 9 batter Ben Rortvedt. Chandler Simpson hit an RBI double to left for his first big league hit, Yandy Díaz hit a run-scoring infield single and Lowe singled to left.
After New York wasted runners at the corners with no outs in the 10th against Edwin Uceta (1-1), Aranda led off the bottom half against Yoendrys Gómez with his fourth homer, stopping the Rays’ four-game losing streak.
New York went 6 for 15 with runners in scoring position.
On a foul popup that ended the Yankees’ fifth, Aranda collided with Rortvedt and was on the grass with training staff before walking off on his own power.
Aaron Judge had three hits and three RBIs, and Trent Grisham homered for the Yankees.
Yankees designated hitter Ben Rice left with a bruised left elbow after getting hit by an 88.2 mph slider from Manuel Rodríguez in the fourth inning. X-rays were negative.
Rays starter Shane Baz allowed five runs, his most since July 10, 2022, in 3 1/3 innings. Yankees starter Carlos Carrasco threw just 35 of 78 pitches for strikes and gave up four runs in four innings.
Key moment
With the bases loaded and no out in the first, Paul Goldschmidt grounded sharply to Caballero at shortstop, who started a double play by throwing the ball between his legs to force Austin Wells at second.
Key stat
Simpson was 1 for 5 in his major league debut.
Up next
Yankees LHP Max Fried (3-0, 1.88 ERA) and Rays RHP Ryan Pepiot (1-2, 4.91) start Sunday’s series finale.
#Devin #Williams #implodes #ninth #inning #Yankees #fall #Rays #extras
]]>BALTIMORE — Four days ago, Ramón Laureano had only one hit as an Oriole.
The free agent acquisition — signed for $4 million to be a platoon outfielder — had struck out in half of his plate appearances. The veteran’s struggles were part of the reason the Orioles’ lineup has been listless against lefties.
What a difference four days can make.
Laureano has three homers in his past five at-bats, including two long balls off the bench Saturday to propel the Orioles to a 9-5 win over the Cincinnati Reds. Baltimore (9-11) blasted five homers off flamethrower Hunter Greene, who entered the game as perhaps the best starting pitcher in baseball, and his bullpen.
The offense backed prospect Brandon Young during his shaky-but-solid MLB debut and provided much-needed insurance to a bullpen that dangerously walked a tightrope all evening.
It’s only April, but given the ballclub’s uninspiring open to the season, Saturday felt like a gotta-have-it game. Friday’s ugly loss featured the sold-out crowd at Camden Yards booing on several occasions. Saturday’s win, with 28,534 fans in attendance for David Rubenstein’s bobblehead day, featured a crowd that was anxious to start and elated at the end.
Laureano entered in the third inning to replace Heston Kjerstad, who exited with a bruised right elbow after getting plunked by a 99.5 mph fastball. Laureano, who homered in Wednesday’s win over the Cleveland Guardians, became the fifth player in Orioles history to hit two home runs off the bench and the first since Trey Mancini in 2017.
When Young took the mound, he became the first homegrown pitching prospect solely developed by the Mike Elias regime to make it to Baltimore. The 2020 undrafted free agent endured a windy road to reach the show, and he showed that grit throughout his four-plus innings of three-run ball.
After the Reds took a 1-0 lead in the first inning, Baltimore’s bats showed early they wouldn’t have a repeat of Friday’s dismal performance in which the offense tallied four hits and struck out 15 times. Cedric Mullins blasted a leadoff homer off Greene, who sported a 0.98 ERA entering Saturday, and Gunnar Henderson followed to give Baltimore back-to-back jacks.
Young allowed two more runs in the second, but Henderson tied the game with a scorching RBI double. Laureano then put Baltimore up 5-3 with a two-run homer off Greene in the third.
After the bullpen escaped multiple jams in the middle innings, Laureano provided some breathing room with a solo homer — again off a righty — to put Baltimore up 6-4. Jordan Westburg, engrossed in an 0 for 30 slump, then went back to back with Laureano with a solo shot to left field.
Ryan O’Hearn and Tyler O’Neill both knocked RBI singles in the eighth, and closer Félix Bautista slammed the door for the save after entering for Matt Bowman with no outs and runners on first and second.
Instant analysis
It’s getting difficult to argue that Ramón Urías isn’t one of the Orioles’ nine best players right now.
Urías has long been underrated — especially nationally, but even by some Baltimore fans — because he’s not flashy, he wasn’t a top prospect and his ceiling is not nearly as high as his contemporaries. But over the past calendar year, he’s performed like someone who deserves more playing time than he’s receiving, and he proved that again Saturday.
In just his third start in the past 10 days, Urías went 2 for 4 at the plate to boost his batting average to .349 and OPS to .815. Since May 1, Urías has been one of Baltimore’s most reliable hitters with an OPS north of .800 despite irregular playing time.
While his defense since 2023 hasn’t been what it was when he was a Gold Glove Award winner in 2022, he made two solid defensive plays at third base to start critical double plays. The second occurred in the sixth inning, ending the inning to prevent the tying run from scoring.
Westburg was an All-Star last season. Jackson Holliday deserves a chance at being an everyday player. The organization is intent on playing Jorge Mateo against lefties. But the Orioles have put themselves behind the 8-ball with a sluggish start, and they need to maximize their chances of winning each game.
It’s getting difficult to argue that Ramón Urías isn’t one of the Orioles’ nine best players right now.
On deck
The Orioles came into this week without a series win or consecutive wins this season. They have the chance to do both for a second time with a win Sunday.
Baltimore opened its series against the Cleveland Guardians with an ugly loss and followed it with two impressive wins. After perhaps the club’s sloppiest defeat Friday against the Reds, the Orioles are hoping to end this series the same way they capped off the previous one.
To do so, starting pitcher Charlie Morton will have to get back on track after opening the season 0-4 with an 8.84 ERA.
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#Orioles #blast #homers #beat #Reds
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