Sports
After stumbling out of break, Lakers set to battle Blazers
Feb 19, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) and guard Luka Doncic (77) during the second quarter against the Charlotte Hornets at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images The Los Angeles Lakers continue to insist it will take time to assimilate Luka Doncic into the group.
Apparently they can’t beat the woeful Charlotte Hornets while they try to figure it out.
One night after a humbling defeat, the Lakers will look for a better result when they visit the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday.
Los Angeles is coming off a 100-97 home loss against the Hornets, who entered the contest 26 games below .500.
The Lakers let a 13-point second-half lead get away. Los Angeles had a chance to force overtime, but LeBron James missed two 3-point attempts in the final five seconds.
“Those last two were pretty good looks,” James said. “The first one obviously was better than the second one. The second one had to be rushed a little bit.”
James had 26 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds while playing on the sore left foot that led him to pull out of the All-Star Game on Sunday.
“It’s going to be something we’re going to have to manage through the regular season and through the postseason,” James said. “I was happy I was able to get some days off and make sure I was available for (Wednesday).”
Doncic played 33 minutes in his third game with the Lakers and had 14 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. However, he shot 5 of 18 from the field, including 1 of 9 from 3-point range, and committed a game-high six turnovers.
Doncic is averaging 14.7 points and has missed 19 of 24 3-point tries since being acquired from the Dallas Mavericks, with the Lakers going 1-2 in those contests.
“It’s going to take a little time, a lot of rustiness on my part,” Doncic said. “I started the game with four or five turnovers, that can’t happen. Gotta play basketball the right way.”
The Lakers have the current back-to-back due to the game against Charlotte being a makeup for the Jan. 9 contest that was postponed due to the Los Angeles fires.
The Trail Blazers showed life by winning 10 of 11 games before going 0-3 on a road trip to end play before the break.
“I think we’re in a pretty good spot,” Portland coach Chauncey Billups said. “I just want us to be consistent on both sides of the ball. Our remedy the whole time, our recipe has been just guarding at a pretty high level and then trying to get the rebound after we do guard on a possession and then playing fast and moving the ball. So I want us to continue to do that.”
After the game against the Lakers, Portland hosts the Hornets on Saturday before heading out on a seven-game road trip.
Center Deandre Ayton, who excelled during the hot stretch, injured his left calf on Feb. 10 against the Denver Nuggets and will miss at least three more weeks.
Rookie Donovan Clingan looked up to the task of manning the middle by starting the final game before the break and collecting 17 points and a career-best 20 rebounds while going up against three-time MVP Nikola Jokic of the Nuggets.
“I’m definitely ready,” said Clingan, the No. 7 overall pick out of UConn. “I put a lot of work in to get my body and my conditioning right to the point where it’s at. I’m going to keep on getting better and better.
“So, I’m going to challenge myself to go out there and leave it all out there every single night.”
Jerami Grant (right knee), Scoot Henderson (right ankle) and Robert Williams III (right knee) are all questionable for the Trail Blazers.
The Lakers are 2-0 against Portland this season and have won the teams’ past five meetings.
–Field Level Media
Sports
PK save in final minutes helps Galaxy earn tie vs. Earthquakes
Jul 25, 2026; Stanford, CA, USA; San Jose Earthquakes midfield Nick Fernandez (20) and LA Galaxy midfield Lucas Sanabria (8) battle for the ball during the first half at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images James Marcinkowski saved a penalty shot five minutes into extra time as the visiting Los Angeles Galaxy preserved a 1-1 tie against the San Jose Earthquakes in the latest installment of the California Clasico rivalry at Stanford, Calif.
Marcinkowski, who is in his second season with the Galaxy after five seasons with the Earthquakes, made a dive to his left to stop a shot from the spot by the Earthquakes’ Timo Werner. Marcinkowski finished with five saves.
Joseph Paintsil scored a goal in the first half for Los Angeles (5-7-6, 21 points), who earned a point for the first time in three matches since the World Cup break ended.
Reid Roberts scored a goal in the 62nd minute for the Earthquakes (10-4-3, 33 points), who were unable to convert the go-ahead goal late in the match after Ousseni Bouda earned a penalty on a foul from Marcinkowski.
Angus Gunn, who played for Scotland in the World Cup, made one save in his second match since joining San Jose during the break.
The Galaxy opened the scoring in the 13th minute when 19-year-old Harbor Miller took the ball up the right side and found Marco Reus in the middle of the field. Reus sent Paintsil forward on a breakaway and the forward slid home his fourth goal of the season.
The Earthquakes got even in the 62nd minute after the Galaxy nearly coughed up an own goal on a clearance header that clanked off the crossbar.
The rebound came to the feet of San Jose’s Benji Kikanovich, who fired a shot that was knocked down in the penalty area. Roberts cleaned up a loose ball on the goal line for his second tally of the season.
Paintsil nearly gave Los Angeles the lead in the 83rd minute before Gunn used his right hand to swat away a shot headed toward the upper right corner of the goal.
While the Galaxy were without defenders Jakob Glesnes (yellow-card accumulation) and Emiro Garces (red card on Wednesday), the Earthquakes were without forward Preston Judd (yellow-card accumulation).
–Field Level Media
Sports
Rams QB Ty Simpson becomes last first-round pick to sign
Jun 2, 2026; Woodland Hills, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Ty Simpson (15) throws the ball during organized team activities at Rams Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Quarterback Ty Simpson became the last of the 2026 first-round draft picks to sign on Saturday, coming to terms with the Los Angeles Rams.
The rookie’s contract is fully guaranteed at four years and $25.4 million with a $14.9 signing bonus, NFL Network reported on Saturday.
The Rams, with reigning NFL Most Valuable Player Matthew Stafford at quarterback, made a stunning selection in April by drafting Simpson with the 13th overall pick.
Simpson, projected as a second-rounder, passed for 3,567 yards with 28 touchdowns and five interceptions in 15 games at Alabama last season, his first as a starter. He now is projected to have time to develop as a backup to Stafford, 38.
The only other quarterback to be selected in the first round, Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, went No. 1 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders. The Heisman Trophy winner signed a four-year rookie deal worth a fully guaranteed $57.27 million which includes a fifth-year option.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Another Tiger possibly on trade block, Casey Mize, faces Royals
Jul 19, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Detroit Tigers pitcher Casey Mize (12) pitches during the second inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images The possibility of Tarik Skubal getting traded has loomed over the Tigers all season. But another key Detroit starter and impending free agent, Casey Mize, also could swap out uniforms if the Tigers choose to sell before the Aug. 3 trade deadline.
Mize could be making his last appearance with the club when the Tigers host the Kansas City Royals on Saturday afternoon.
The 29-year-old right-hander has battled groin tightness at various times this season, but when he’s been on the mound, he has delivered quality innings. Mize (4-6, 2.79 ERA) has allowed two or fewer runs in 11 of his 15 starts.
Mize had his latest start, his first after the All-Star break, cut short when a comebacker from Los Angeles Angels’ Jo Adell struck his left wrist. He exited after 3 1/3 innings but didn’t have any lingering effects from the injury.
“I’m good,” Mize said, according to the Detroit News. “I (am) looking forward to Saturday. We’ve been checking all the boxes that we need to and I’m feeling good.”
Mize, who gave up one run and five hits and a walk with five strikeouts in Anaheim, Calif., is not dwelling on the trade speculation.
“Where we are as a team makes that more simple (to deal with),” Mize said. “There are so many unknowns. We’re in a 10-game sprint right now, and it takes tons of focus on what we’re doing here and now, day to day. That’s kind of how I’ve always played, so that makes it pretty easy to focus on that instead of the other stuff. I’m just leaning on that and really caring about what we’re doing right now.”
Mize hasn’t faced the Royals this season, but he has made more career starts against them than any other club. He is 3-2 with a 4.97 ERA in 13 starts vs. Kansas City. Royals catcher Salvador Perez has a .424 average with five extra-base hits against him in 33 at-bats.
Michael Wacha (5-7, 3.66) will start for the Royals. Wacha was sharp in his first start after his All-Star appearance, holding San Francisco to one run and three hits in six innings on Monday.
The 35-year-old right-hander had one of his best outings of the season against the Tigers on May 9, tossing seven scoreless innings. He only allowed two hits and two walks while striking out six.
In 11 career starts against Detroit, he is 3-3 with a 2.95 ERA.
Like Mize, Wacha is a potential trade candidate, as is another veteran Royals starter, Seth Lugo. Wacha is signed through next season with a club option for 2028.
“We’ll be open-minded to anything,” Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said. “But we have to be very, very pointed on what we want to get out of any one of those two. And it’s also, they made a commitment to us, and that’s big. And I think that’s important to the morale of the team.”
The Tigers have won three straight, including the first two games of the current four-game series. Skubal struck out 12 in 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball during the Tigers’ 2-1 victory on Friday.
Kansas City had won three straight prior to visiting Detroit, while the Tigers have won three in a row.
–Field Level Media
PK save in final minutes helps Galaxy earn tie vs. Earthquakes
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