Lakers defeat Grizzlies to take 3-1 series lead
The Lakers are one win away from the Western Conference Semifinals after beating the Grizzlies, 117-111, in Game 4.
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1. Lakers defeat Grizzlies to take 3-1 series lead
The Lakers are one win away from the Western Conference Semifinals after beating the Grizzlies, 117-111, in Game 4. The Sporting Tribune’s Mark Medina was at Crypto.com Arena and writes about the Lakers’ dynamic duo coming through in the clutch when it mattered most.
Some of Anthony Davis’ imprint on the game looked ugly. He had 12 points on only 4-for-13 shooting. He repeatedly looked in pain as he clutched his right hip, an injury that he said has bothered him for the past 1 ½ weeks. And the Lakers arguably absorbed such a performance because others mitigated it.
LeBron James had 22 points and a career-high 20 rebounds. Austin Reaves had a team-leading 23 points on 7-for-16 shooting. D’Angelo Russell added 17 points on 7-for-15 shooting, including three consecutive 3s late in the fourth quarter that led Lakers coach Darvin Ham to argue, “if D-Lo doesn’t play the way he plays, we don’t win this game.”
Nonetheless, Davis still showed his value while playing hurt, even if it lacked what the Lakers normally need from their second-best player. He added 11 rebounds, four blocks, two steals and plenty of intangibles in 42 minutes.
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2. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George ruled out as Clippers face elimination
With the Clippers' two stars ruled out for Game 5, The Sporting Tribune's Mark Medina wonders what the future holds for Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
Perhaps Clippers coach Tyronn Lue simply wanted to put the idea into the universe.
“There’s always a possibility,” Lue said. Just a few hours later, however, the Clippers confirmed what most expected. Leonard and George would miss Game 5; leaving the Clippers to play the biggest game of their season without their two biggest stars.
When it comes to Leonard and George, however, there's always uncertainty. Just like it has been for the entire 2022-23 season, the Clippers are entering their most important game of the season without their two star players. They have done so once too many times already.
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3. Golden Knights make big plays to take 3-1 series lead over Jets
Vegas is one win away from advancing to the Western Conference semifinals after beating Winnipeg , 4-2, in Game 4.
Brett Howden scored two goals and Laurent Brossoit made 24 saves to lead the visiting Vegas Golden Knights to a 4-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets in Game 4 of a Western Conference first-round playoff series on Monday.
William Karlsson and Ivan Barbashev also scored goals for Vegas, which took a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Chandler Stephenson and Shea Theodore each added a pair of assists for the Golden Knights, who can wrap up the series with a victory in Game 5 on Thursday night in Las Vegas.
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4. Takeaways from Chargers GM Tom Telesco’s pre-draft press conference
Chargers general manager Tom Telesco is preparing for his 11th draft with the organization and The Sporting Tribune’s Fernando Ramirez has the latest on his plans following his pre-draft press conference.
Every general manager and scout has a projection of how many players have a true first-round grade. That number varies from team to team.
"Our first-round numbers are kind of where they usually are," Telesco said.
The Chargers general manager didn't want to get into numbers or specifics.
The view of the depth at the different positions is also interesting to know, so here is what Telesco said:
"The depth of the draft is hard to tell," Telesco said. "Each position is a little bit different. The only one that really kind of stands out – just because, in previous years, we've seen less and less college tight ends coming into the NFL – for whatever reason, this year, there's a whole bunch of really true tight ends that are coming into the league."
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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
6:30 p.m. – Oakland Athletics at Los Angeles Angels – Bally Sports West
6:30 p.m. – Los Angeles Kings at Edmonton Oilers – ESPN
7:00 p.m. – Los Angeles Clippers at Phoenix Suns – Bally Sports SoCal & TNT
10. The Arash Markazi Show presented by The Sporting Tribune
The Sporting Tribune’s Arash Markazi is joined by Armani Buckets and Brandon Deutsch to discuss the Lakers blowing out the Memphis Grizzlies to take a 2-1 series lead, LeBron James putting Dillon Brooks in his place, the Clippers unraveling in the postseason again without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, if the Clippers just need to hit the reset button before moving to Intuit Dome, the LA Kings blowing a 3-0 lead and a shot at a 3-1 series lead against the Edmonton Oilers and Shohei Ohtani picking up where he left off last year.
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!