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
LAFC maintain strong run with rout of Sporting Kansas City
Jul 25, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; LAFC forward Son Heung-Min (7) celebrates with forward Denis Bouanga (99) after scoring a goal during the first half against Sporting Kansas City at BMO Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images Los Angeles FC continued their hot run of form with a 4-0 thumping of visiting Sporting Kansas City on Saturday night.
Denis Bouanga tallied a brace and an assist as he and Son Heung-min extended their scoring streaks to three games. LAFC (10-5-3, 33 points) maintained their perfect record since the World Cup break.
Both Kansas City (4-11-2, 14 points) center backs found themselves wanting for pace in the first half. Son opened the scoring just five minutes in when SKC’s Zorhan Bassong inadvertently placed the ball into his path with a heavy tackle in the central midfield. Son beat Wyatt Meyer to the runaway ball and cut it past goalkeeper Stefan Cleveland (one save) with ease.
Bouanga made it 2-0 in the 37th minute off a perfectly weighted ball from Mathieu Choiniere deep in his own third. Bouanga escaped the pursuit of Or Blorian before chipping it over a helpless Cleveland.
SKC were burned once again in transition in added time, with David Martinez on the receiving end of a long switch from Bouanga. Meyer caught up to his man on this occasion, but couldn’t stop him from extending the lead to three with a left-footed shot.
Bouanga nabbed his second goal in the 85th minute from the edge of the box off a slick feed from substitute Tyler Boyd.
SKC striker Dejan Joveljic thought he had extended his own scoring streak when he found the back of the net in the 70th minute but the goal was called off on a clear offside. Zorhan Bassong gave Hugo Lloris his first real test minutes later, forcing the French goalkeeper into a diving save to meet his long-range effort.
Lloris recorded his tenth clean sheet of the season with one save. He has allowed just a single goal in his team’s three matches since returning to play. Los Angeles is undefeated against Kansas City in their last eleven encounters and has won four straight.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Reports: Red Sox trading LHP Connelly Early for INF Curtis Mead
Jun 25, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Connelly Early (71) throws a pitch against the New York Yankees in the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images The Boston Red Sox are trading rookie left-hander Connelly Early to the Washington Nationals for infielder Curtis Mead, according to multiple reports on Saturday night.
The Red Sox reportedly are seeking help at shortstop ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline and were looking at Mead’s teammate, All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams. Boston’s Trevor Story, out since May 14, has played only 41 games because of a sports hernia.
Early, 24, hasn’t pitched since June 30, going on the injured list July 1 due to left elbow inflammation. The starting pitcher is expected to return in August.
Boston selected Early in the fifth round of the 2023 MLB Draft out of the University of Virginia.
Early is 7-5 this season with a 3.44 ERA, 34 walks and 93 strikeouts in 91 2/3 innings over 17 starts. He appeared in four games (all starts) last season and went 1-2 with a 2.33 ERA over 19 1/3 innings.
Mead, a 25-year-old native of Australia, is batting .254 with a .352 on-base percentage and .500 slugging percentage after going 0-for-3 with two walks and one run after playing third base in Washington’s 5-3 home win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday. He has 17 home runs and 48 RBIs in 87 games.
Mead, who has played first, second and third base as well as designated hitter this season, is a career .244 hitter with 22 homers and 79 RBIs in 239 games for the Tampa Bay Rays (2023-25), Chicago White Sox (2025) and Nationals (2026).
He signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2018 and was traded to the Rays in November 2019 for left-hander Cristopher Sanchez, who was selected to his second All-Star Game this season.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Felipe Mora goes out with a brace as Timbers edge Real Salt Lake
Jul 25, 2026; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Timbers forward Felipe Mora (9) high-fives fans before a game against Real Salt Lake at Providence Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images Felipe Mora, playing in what was announced as his final match with host Portland, scored twice in the second half as the Timbers defeated 10-man Real Salt Lake 2-1 on Saturday night.
Goalkeeper James Pantemis made three saves for the Timbers (6-8-3, 21 points), who improved to 2-0-1 under interim head coach Jack Cassidy.
Juan Manuel Sanabria tallied for Salt Lake (8-6-2, 26 points) and Rafael Cabral made five saves.
RSL’s Victor Olatunji put the ball in the net from just inside the top of the penalty area in second-half stoppage time but was ruled offside.
Mora got the equalizer in the 56th minute off a corner kick from Ariel Lassiter on the right wing. Lassiter found Mora at the top of the 6-yard box and his header took one bounce off the turf and into the far upper corner of the net.
Mora scored again in the 67th minute off a left-wing corner from Kristoffer Velde. Mora’s glancing header from the top of the 6-yard box reached the far upper corner of the net.
Timbers general manager Ned Grabavoy announced Friday this would be the final match for Mora, the third-leading goal scorer in franchise history with 48, but didn’t indicate where the native of Chile would be going.
Reports on Saturday indicated Mora, who scored the tying goal in second-half stoppage time in a 2-2 draw with visiting FC Dallas on Wednesday, would head back to Liga MX.
Mora came off for substitute Alexander Aravena in the 72nd minute to a raucous standing ovation from the crowd at Providence Park, with fans chanting his name for a couple of minutes.
RSL opened the scoring in the 18th minute, Sanabria played a nifty give-and-go with Morgan Guilavogui, getting the ball back at the top left of the penalty area. Sanabria dribbled toward the top of the 6-yard box before putting a low toe punch into the far side netting.
Guilavogui was ejected in the 31st minute for a foul on Jimer Fory after both players tumbled to the ground while battling for the ball along the sideline. Guilavogui seemed to kick Fory in the chest as he rolled over and was originally issued a yellow card by referee Elijio Arreguin, but a video review showed he made contact with Fory’s chin and it was upgraded to a red.
–Field Level Media
LAFC maintain strong run with rout of Sporting Kansas City
Reports: Red Sox trading LHP Connelly Early for INF Curtis Mead
