Clippers facing hard decisions after early exit
The Sporting Tribune's Mark Medina wonders what the future now holds for Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and the rest of the Clippers.
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1. Clippers facing hard decisions after early exit
After the Clippers’ season came to end in the first round, The Sporting Tribune's Mark Medina wonders what the future now holds for Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and the rest of the Clippers.
Once again, the LA Clippers showed their resilience because of great coaching and depth. Once again, the Clippers still ended their season earlier than expected partly because of key injuries to Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
The Clippers fell in a 136-130 loss to the Phoenix Suns in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series on Tuesday for all the familiar reasons that have plagued them ever since Leonard and George teamed up four years ago. Despite fielding a diminished roster against a top-heavy team that made double-digit runs, the Clippers competed to the very end. But eventually, the Clippers were left wondering what could have happened if only Leonard and George stayed healthy. After missing 22 games for maintenance on his right knee and an additional six to treat a sprained right ankle, Leonard finally appeared in the postseason without any restrictions. Leonard only played in two postseason games before returning to the trainer’s room.
After aggravating soreness in his right knee in Game 1 and 2, Leonard sat on the bench in street clothes for Games 3, 4, and 5. The Clippers considered Leonard’s injury serious enough that he never received clearance for any on-court work before the playoffs ended.
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2. Oilers blitz Kings in Game 5, take 3-2 series lead to L.A.
The Edmonton Oilers beat the LA Kings, 6-3, and are now one win away from advancing the Western Conference semifinals. The Sporting Tribune's Derek Lee recaps the Kings' Game 5 loss.
The Kings rolled into Edmonton with the series tied 2-2 instead of a 3-1 lead. 3-1 was the score when the Oilers began their frenzied comeback effort on Sunday night, which ended in overtime thanks to a Zach Hyman goal. The Kings, who were up by as many as three goals in that game, desperately needed a bounce back effort. That wasn’t what they got on Tuesday night.
Two early goals from Evander Kane and Leon Draisaitl put the Kings behind the 8-ball early and after Alex Iafallo pulled one back off a rebound created by Adrian Kempe, the Oilers responded with another goal just a minute later.
Quinton Byfield was caught puck watching and Brett Kulak was able to sneak down from the point to score on a backdoor pass. It was a rough first period for Byfield, who also lost Draisaitl on the second Oilers goal. He was demoted to the third line after Kulak’s goal, with Iafallo taking his spot on the top line.
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3. Lakers look to beat Grizzlies and advance to semifinals
The Lakers are one win away from advancing to the Western Conference semifinals heading into Wednesday’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies and The Sporting Tribune’s Mark Medina believes Anthony Davis will be key to the Lakers advancing.
The Lakers’ injury-prone star hunched over as he grabbed his right hip. But Anthony Davis still played.
He spent one timeout lying on his left side on the bench. But Davis still competed.
He struggled all game with finding consistency with his scoring and his defense. But Davis still made winning plays.
The Lakers’ success usually hinges on how well Davis can dominate. But in the Lakers’ 117-111 overtime win over the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 4 of their first-round series, it partly hinged on how well Davis can show resiliency.
“I’m all about getting wins, no matter how I do it or we do it,” Davis said. “Things aren’t always going to be perfect. Sometimes you have to win ugly. Sometimes you don’t play well, but you still try to have an imprint on the game.”
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4. Michael Busch makes successful debut for Dodgers
Michael Busch made his presence felt in his MLB debut as as the Dodgers won their third consecutive game. The Sporting Tribune’s Bruce Kuntz has more on a big night for Busch and the “Boys in Blue.”
Michael Busch finally received a major-league call up and took advantage of his first opportunity. He batted seventh and started at DH for the Dodgers as they opened their series in Pittsburgh.
Busch went 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI in his debut. His first hit as a major leaguer was an RBI single in the sixth inning that set the stage for a Dodgers comeback. He drove in his friend and 2022 teammate James Outman with a line drive into center field.
In the eighth inning, Busch followed up his big hit with a seven-pitch walk. He looked composed at the plate, and his getting on base turned out to be huge. Chris Taylor batted next and hit a three-run homer that scored Busch and gave the Dodgers the lead, which they eventually held to secure the win.
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5. Ali Riley explains how Angel City can bounce back from early struggles
After Angel City lost their rivalry game, Ali Riley was smiling. This is because she believes the team has reached a "turning point,” writes The Sporting Tribune’s Kamran Nia.
Through four league games this season, Angel City is 1-2-1. They have also lost their only NWSL Challenge Cup game to the OL Reign and are currently on a two-game losing streak.
The team has struggled to achieve their goals over a full 90 minutes. In some games, they jump to an early lead but squander it in the second half. In others, they start slowly and find themselves clawing back.
When they build an attack into the final third of the field, they struggle to put the ball in the back of the net. This was on display against the Wave, where they attempted 16 shots, but only two of them were on goal en route to a shutout loss.
Despite the challenges, defender Ali Riley believes the club has reached a crossroads and is on the right path.
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6. The winning mentality of Carlos Vela and LAFC
LAFC captain Carlos Vela is hungry for more after winning a championship while also thinking about his life after his playing career, writes The Sporting Tribune’s Chandrima Chatterjee.
It’s still early in the competition season, but LAFC, sitting third in the Western Conference with one game in hand, the only remaining undefeated team, and in the semifinals of the Concacaf Champions League, have set its sights on multiple trophies in a single season.
To achieve what seems like an insurmountable target of playing 54 games in 41 weeks, they have relied on a regular roster rotation at an early point in the season, when they can afford wider room for experimentation errors. The MLS Cup defending champions began 2023 with that very goal – to achieve greatness across the board in multiple tournaments.
In the words of their captain, Carlos Vela, whose name is synonymous with LAFC as their first signing and only remaining player from their inaugural season, “This trophy just makes me more hungry.” He uttered those words in 2019 as he lifted his MLS MVP trophy, and similarly, as he hoisted the MLS Cup at LAFC’s Championship parade and rally in November 2022 alongside his teammates, the LAFC front office and thousands of elated fans, as he said, “when you get a trophy, you want more!”
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7. Odds and Ends presented by Circa Sports
Here are some odds at Circa Sports if you’re thinking about placing a wager today:
8. Ticket Time presented by TickPick
Here are the “get in” prices for tickets in the area if you’re thinking about going to a game today:
6:30 p.m. – Oakland Athletics at Los Angeles Angels – $5
9. On the Air presented by Coca-Cola
Here are the game times and television channels for professional teams in the region today:
3:30 p.m. – Los Angeles Dodgers at Pittsburgh Pirates – SportsNet LA
4:30 p.m. – Los Angeles Lakers at Memphis Grizzlies – Spectrum SportsNet, TNT
6:00 p.m. – LAFC at Philadelphia Union – FS1
6:30 p.m. – Oakland Athletics at Los Angeles Angels – Bally Sports West
10. The Arash Markazi Show presented by The Sporting Tribune
The Sporting Tribune’s Arash Markazi is joined by Brandon Deutsch and Grant Mona to discuss the Lakers being one win away from advancing the Western Conference Semifinals, LeBron James posting his first career 20-20 game when his team needed it most, the Clippers entering their most important game of the season without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, and if the Clippers should just rename and rebrand the team before moving to Intuit Dome.
Listen to The Arash Markazi Show presented by The Sporting Tribune on The Mightier 1090 ESPN Radio in Southern California, 98.5 The Fan in Las Vegas and the Hawaii Sports Radio Network 95.1 FM and 760 AM in Hawaii. You can also listen to the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Play and Stitcher.
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That’s it for today. Talk to you tomorrow!