The Sports Report: Luka Doncic is ready for another epic playoff moment

Howdy, I’m your host, Houston Mitchell. Let’s get right to the news.

From Dan Woike: On the night Luka Doncic returned to Dallas, the Mavericks condensed his American basketball career into an emotion-filled two minutes full of game-winners, highlight passes and trick shots that helped connect the Slovenian star to the Texas city.

As Doncic watched the footage, occasionally hiding his eyes behind a white tear-filled towel, one moment in particular stood out as most special.

It was Game 2 of the 2024 Western Conference finals, his team down by two points, the final seconds ticking off the clock. Rudy Gobert, the league’s four-time defensive player of the year, stood out at the three-point line attempting to stop the inevitable from happening.

Doncic, in one of the biggest moments of his career, moved Gobert to the left, to the right and then back toward the paint, opening a window for Doncic to make the big shot in the big moment.

He celebrated with a scream, joy and anger combining for uncontainable passion and an image that’ll define Doncic.

“I like big games,” Doncic said with a half-smirk on Thursday. “Playoffs is a fun time.”

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NBA insiders break down the Lakers-Timberwolves playoff series

NBA PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE, RESULTS

All Times Pacific
Play-in round
Friday
Miami at Atlanta, 4 p.m., TNT
winner advances to playoffs as East No. 8 seed

Dallas at Memphis, 6:30 p.m., ESPN
winner advances to playoffs as West No. 8 seed

First round
Western Conference

No. 3 Lakers vs. No. 6 Minnesota
Saturday at Lakers, 5:30 p.m., ABC
Tuesday at Lakers, 7 p.m., TNT
Friday at Timberwolves, 6:30 p.m., ESPN
Sunday, April 27 at Timberwolves, 12:30 p.m., ABC
Wed., April 30 at Lakers, TBD*
Friday, May 2 at Timberwolves, TBD*
Sunday, May 4 at Lakers, TBD*

No. 4 Denver vs. No. 5 Clippers
Saturday at Nuggets, 12:30 p.m., ESPN
Monday at Nuggets, 7 p.m., TNT
Thursday at Clippers, 7 p.m., NBA TV
Saturday, April 26 at Clippers, 3 p.m., TNT
Tuesday, April 29 at Nuggets, TBD*
Thursday, May 1 at Clippers, TBD*
Saturday, May 3 at Nuggets, TBD*

No. 1 Oklahoma City vs. No. 8 TBD
Sunday at Thunder, 10 a.m., ABC
Tuesday at Thunder, 4:30 p.m., TNT
Thursday at TBD, 6:30 p.m., TNT
Saturday, April 26 at TBD, 12:30 p.m., TNT
Monday, April 28 at Thunder, TBD*
Thursday, May 1 at TBD, TBD*
Saturday, May 3 at Thunder, TBD*

No. 2 Houston vs. No. 7 Golden State
Sunday at Rockets, 6:30 p.m., TNT
Wednesday at Rockets, 6:30 p.m., TNT
Saturday, April 26 at Warriors, 5:30 p.m., ABC
Monday, April 28 at Warriors, 7 p.m., TNT
Wednesday, April 30 at Rockets, TBD*
Friday, May 2 at Warriors, TBD*
Sunday, May 4 at Rockets, TBD*

Eastern Conference
No. 1 Cleveland vs. No. 8 TBD
Sunday at Cavaliers, 4 p.m., TNT
Wednesday at Cavaliers, 4:30 p.m., NBA TV
Saturday, April 26 at TBD, 10 a.m., TNT
Monday, April 28 at TBD, TBD
Wednesday, April 30 at Cavaliers, TBD*
Friday, May 2 at TBD, TBD*
Sunday, May 4 at Cavaliers, TBD*

No. 2 Boston vs. No. 7 Orlando
Sunday at Celtics, 12:30 p.m., ABC
Wednesday at Celtics, 4 p.m., TNT
Friday at Magic, 4 p.m., ESPN
Sunday, April 27 at Magic, 4 p.m., TNT
Tuesday, April 29 at Celtics, TBD*
Thursday, May 1 at Magic, TBD*
Saturday, May 3 at Celtics, TBD*

No. 3 New York vs. No. 6 Detroit
Saturday at Knicks, 3 p.m., ESPN
Monday at Knicks, 4:30 p.m., TNT
Thursday at Pistons, 4 p.m., TNT
Sunday, April 27 at Pistons, 10 a.m., ABC
Tuesday, April 29 at Knicks, TBD*
Thursday, May 1 at Pistons, TBD*
Saturday, May 3 at Knicks, TBD*

No. 4 Indiana vs. No. 5 Milwaukee
Saturday at Pacers, 10 a.m., ESPN
Tuesday at Pacers, 4 p.m., NBA TV
Friday at Bucks, 5 p.m., ESPNU/NBA TV
Sunday, April 27 at Bucks, 6:30 p.m., TNT
Tuesday, April 29 at Pacers, TBD*
Friday, May 2 at Bucks, TBD*
Sunday, May 4 at Pacers, TBD*

* if necessary

DODGERS

From Jack Harris: Shohei Ohtani is not publicly known, nor personally sees himself, as a quick starter at the plate.

“Overall, in my career,” he said through interpreter Will Ireton, “I don’t really have a hot start in the beginning of the season.”

This year, that’s technically true again — but only if you hold the reigning National League MVP to his own stratospheric standards.

Through the opening three weeks, all of Ohtani’s triple-slash stats are down from last year (.288/.380/.550), but only because his 2024 marks (.310/.390/.646) all topped the NL. Same story with a .930 OPS that is more than 100 points lower than his gaudy 2024 total, but still good enough to rank top 20 in the majors.

With six home runs and five stolen bases, Ohtani isn’t quite on mathematical pace for another 50-homer, 50-steal season; but is on an early track to become the first player in MLB history with multiple 40/40 campaigns.

The only true area of regression so far has been in one statistical category; where a glaring drop in production has signaled a key early-season problem for the team.

After racking up 130 RBIs in 159 games last year, Ohtani has just eight in this season’s opening 20 contests. Seven of them have come via his six home runs (all but one of which were solo shots). Not until Wednesday, when he returned to the plate in a seven-run first inning and knocked in Austin Barnes with an RBI single, did he record his first hit with a runner in scoring position.

“Shohei’s in a good spot,” manager Dave Roberts said recently. “We just need to get some guys on base for him.”

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ANGELS

Kumar Rocker struck out a career-best eight in a career-long seven innings to earn his first MLB victory as the Texas Rangers beat the Angels 5-3 Thursday night to complete a three-game series sweep.

Rocker (1-2) threw a career-high 78 pitches and allowed three runs on five hits without a walk as the Rangers extended their home winning streak to nine games. The 25-year-old right-hander was drafted third overall by Texas in 2022, a year after concerns over a physical led to him going unsigned by the New York Mets as the 10th overall pick. He made his big league debut in September and was 0-2 last season.

Corey Seager hit his 100th homer with Texas. Robert Garcia earned his first major league save.

The Angels lost their fourth straight game and scored four runs in the series. They head home having played 15 of their first 18 games on the road, matching a MLB high, most recently done by 1957 Chicago Cubs.

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Angels box score

MLB scores

MLB standings

KINGS

From Kevin Baxter: The Kings were playing for history Thursday and the Calgary Flames were playing for pride. Pride won, with Nazem Kadri scoring twice and and Sam Morton, Zayne Parekh and Mikael Backlund also scoring to give the Flames a 5-1 win in the final game of the NHL regular season.

Taylor Ward, making his NHL debut, got the only Kings goal late in the third period, long after the outcome had been decided. The goals by Morton and Parekh also came in their first NHL games.

The loss, the Kings’ first in five games, left them with 48 wins and 105 points for the season, matching the team record in both categories.

Still, the Kings will enter their first-round playoff series with the Edmonton Oilers on Monday as the hottest team in the Western Conference, having won eight of their last 10. Game 2 of the best-of-seven series will be played in Los Angeles on Wednesday before the series moves to Edmonton for Games 3 and 4.

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Kings summary

NHL scores

NHL standings

NHL PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE, RESULTS

All times Pacific
First round

Western Conference
Pacific 3 Edmonton vs. Pacific 2 Kings
Monday at Kings, 7 p.m., ESPN2
Wednesday at Kings, 7 p.m., TBS
Friday at Oilers, 7 p.m., TNT
Sunday, April 27 at Oilers, 6:30 p.m., TBS
Tuesday, April 29 at Kings, TBD*
Thursday, May 1 at Oilers, TBD*
Saturday, May 3 at Kings, TBD*

Wild-card 2 St. Louis vs. Central 1 Winnipeg
Saturday at Jets, 3 p.m., TNT
Monday at Jets, 4:30 p.m., ESPN2
Thursday at Blues, 6:30 p.m., ESPN2
Sunday, April 27 at Blues, 10 a.m., TBS
Wed., April 30 at Jets, TBD*
Friday, May 2 at Blues, TBD*
Sunday, May 4 at Jets, TBD*

Central 3 Colorado vs. Central 2 Dallas
Saturday at Stars, 5:30 p.m., TNT
Monday at Stars, 6:30 p.m., ESPN
Wednesday at Avalanche, 6:30 p.m., ESPN
Saturday, April 26 at Avalanche, 6:30 p.m., TBS
Monday, April 28 at Stars, TBD*
Thursday, May 1 at Avalanche, TBD*
Saturday, May 3 at Stars, TBD*

Wild-card 1 Minnesota vs. Pacific 1 Vegas
Sunday at Golden Knights, 7 p.m., ESPN
Tuesday at Golden Knights, 8 p.m., ESPN
Thursday at Wild, 6 p.m., TBS
Saturday, April 26 at Wild, 1 p.m., TBS
Tuesday, April 29 at Golden Knights, TBD*
Thursday, May 1 at Wild, TBD*
Saturday, May 3 at Golden Knights, TBD*

Eastern Conference
Wild-card 2 Ottawa vs. Atlantic 1 Toronto
Sunday at Maple Leafs, 4 p.m., ESPN2
Tuesday at Maple Leafs, 4:30 p.m., ESPN2
Thursday at Senators, 4 p.m., ESPN2
Saturday, April 26 at Senators, 4 p.m., TBS
Tuesday, April 29 at Maple Leafs, TBD*
Thursday, May 1 at Senators, TBD*
Saturday, May 3 at Maple Leafs, TBD*

Atlantic 3 Florida vs. Atlantic 2 Tampa Bay
Tuesday at Lightning, 5:30 p.m., ESPN
Thursday at Lightning, 3:30 p.m., TBS
Saturday, April 26 at Panthers, 10 a.m., TBS
Monday, April 28 at Panthers, TBD
Wed., April 30 at Lightning, TBD*
Friday, May 2 at Panthers, TBD*
Sunday, May 4 at Lightning, TBD*

Wild-card 2 Montreal vs. Metropolitan 1 Washington
Monday at Capitals, 4 p.m., ESPN
Wednesday at Capitals, 4 p.m., ESPN
Friday at Canadiens, 4 p.m., TNT
Sunday, April 27 at Canadiens, 3:30 p.m., TBS
Wed., April 30 at Capitals, TBD*
Friday, May 2 at Canadiens, TBD*
Sunday, May 4 at at Capitals, TBD*

Metropolitan 3 New Jersey vs. Metropolitan 2 Carolina
Sunday at Hurricanes, noon, ESPN
Tuesday at Hurricanes, p.m., ESPN
Friday at Devils, 5 p.m., TBS
Sunday, April 27 at Devils, 12:30 p.m., TBS
Tuesday, April 29 at Hurricanes, TBD*
Friday, May 2 at Devils, TBD*
Sunday, May 4 at Hurricanes, TBD*

* If necessary

RAMS

From Gary Klein: The Rams once again are on the move for the NFL draft.

But for the first time in five years, coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead will not make their picks from a luxury home transformed into a Rams-centric draft house.

The Rams will conduct the April 24-26 draft from the Los Angeles Fire Department Air Operations headquarters in Van Nuys, the team announced Thursday.

The facility will remain fully operational during the draft, the team said.

“Drafting from LAFD Air Operations is a powerful reminder of what it means to represent Los Angeles,” Rams president Kevin Demoff said in a statement. “Since the wildfires devastated our region in January, we have looked to bring LA Together to help with the recovery efforts, raise the spirits of those impacted, and shine a light on our first responders. We are humbled to partner with LAFD during one of the NFL’s biggest moments to express gratitude for those who risk their lives daily to protect our city.”

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UCLA GYMNASTICS

From Benjamin Royer: Jordan Chiles screamed in relief. Tears welled in her eyes as she stuck her uneven bars dismount.

When it mattered most, the Olympic gold medalist delivered at the NCAA semifinals in Fort Worth, Texas, on Thursday night. She posted a score of 9.975 on the uneven bars to put her in position to win another title in the event as No. 5 UCLA held first heading into the final rotation, with less than two-tenths of a point separating four teams.

Needing their beam routines to connect after Emily Lee posted a sub-9.70 score, the Bruins went to work. Led by senior Emma Malabuyo’s meet-high 9.975 beam score, UCLA outpaced top-seeded Louisiana State to secure the fourth and final spot in the NCAA championship final, finishing with an overall score of 197.5250.

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SPARKS

From Anthony De Leon: At 13 years old, Sarah Ashlee Barker came close to losing her dream of becoming a WNBA player before it began.

Barker was an eighth-grader when she was diagnosed with osteochondritis dissecans, a condition that disrupts blood flow to a bone beneath joint cartilage, causing pain and limiting mobility.

The condition in her left knee required surgery at the Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center in Birmingham, Ala. Doctors gave her a recovery timeline of nearly a year; but two months later, she received news that the procedure had been unsuccessful.

To keep her basketball dreams alive, she would need a more invasive surgery, one that would last more than four hours.

On Monday, Barker became the first of three draft picks in the new chapter of Sparks basketball under coach Lynne Roberts. A standout wing at Alabama, she was selected ninth overall after establishing herself as one of the Southeastern Conference’s best players.

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ANGEL CITY

From Kevin Baxter: Angel City is naming Bayern Munich’s Alexander Straus its new manager, filling a job that has been vacant since Becki Tweed’s sacking in December.

Straus will join the club on June 1, when his season in Germany ends. Straus, who joined Bayern in 2022, has led the team to a 54-2-7 record and can win his third straight Frauen-Bundesliga title with a win over Freiburg next weekend. He has also taken Bayern to the quarterfinals of the Champions League.

Last year Straus, 49, signed a two-year contract extension with Bayern Munich that was set to run through 2026. Before coming to Germany he coached for five clubs and with the youth national teams in his native Norway, working with both men and women players.

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THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

1908 — Tommy Burns knocks out Jewey Smith in the fifth round in Paris to retain the world heavyweight title.

1942 — Stanley Cup Final, Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, ON: Toronto Maple Leafs beat Detroit Red Wings, 3-1 for a 4-3 series win.

1946 — Jackie Robinson debuts as 2nd baseman for the Montreal Royals.

1959 — The Montreal Canadiens win their fourth consecutive Stanley Cup with a 5-3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs in the fifth game.

1962 — Boston’s Bill Russell scores 30 points and grabs 40 rebounds to lead the Celtics to a 110-107 overtime win over the Lakers and their fourth consecutive NBA title. Russell’s 40-rebound effort matches his NBA Finals record set on March 29, 1960.

1966 — Bill Russell is named the coach of the Boston Celtics to become the first Black head coach of an NBA team.

1967 — Rick Barry scores 55 points as the San Francisco Warriors beat Philadelphia, 130-124, in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.

1984 — Joan Benoit runs world record female marathon.

1986 — Washington ends the game on a 18-0 run in the last 3 minutes, 49 seconds and wins it on a banked Dudley Bradley 3-pointer at the horn. The 76ers had a seemingly safe 94-77 lead, but do not score in the 3:39 in the opening game of the first-round of the NBA playoffs.

1987 — Philadelphia’s Mike Schmidt hits his 500th home run with two outs in the ninth to rally the Phillies to an 8-6 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates at Three Rivers Stadium.

1991 — John Stockton breaks his own NBA single-season assist record as the Utah Jazz rout the Seattle SuperSonics 130-103. Stockton’s 11 assists give him 1,136 for the season, two more than the record he set last season.

1993 — PGA Seniors’ Championship Men’s Golf, PGA National GC: American Tom Wargo pars second playoff hole to beat Bruce Crampton of Australia and take his first and only major title.

1995 — Quarterback Joe Montana announces his retirement from football.

1998 — NFL Draft: Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning first pick by Indianapolis Colts.

1999 — Wayne Gretzky ends his NHL career at Madison Square Garden with an assist, setting up a second-period goal as his New York Rangers fall to Pittsburgh 2-1 in overtime. Before the game, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announces the league is retiring No. 99 in honor of “The Great One.”

2001 — A.C. Green plays in his 1,192nd consecutive game, which remains the NBA record. His streak began on November 19, 1986.

2007 — Mark Buehrle of the Chicago White Sox faces the minimum 27 batters in a 6-0 no-hit victory over the Texas Rangers. Buehrle walks Sammy Sosa with one out in the fifth, then promptly picks him off first base.

2008 — NBA owners give approval of a potential Seattle SuperSonics’ relocation to Oklahoma City in a 28–2 vote by the Board of Governors.

2017 — Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo becomes first player to score 100 goals in the Champions League.

Compiled by the Associated Press