Sports
Lakers add big-ticket courtside seats for playoffs
Mar 12, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Spike Lee (left) and Denzel Washington attend the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the New York Knicks at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images The Los Angeles Lakers are making room for more movers and shakers — and celebrities — this playoff season.
The team announced Thursday the availability of additional floor seats, where Jack Nicholson, Denzel Washington, Will Ferrell, Ice Cube, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kim Kardashian and fellow celebrities have sat for years. The Lakers said their floor seats have been sold out for more than 50 years.
“Courtside Reserve is second-row courtside seating that places fans in the heart of the action within the highly sought-after and exclusive floor section, offering an immersive experience,” the Lakers said in a news release. “The new on-floor seating features premium hospitality, including in-seat food and beverage service, VIP club access and a seamless, elevated experience from the moment guests enter the arena.”
To buy tickets, fans must request access through a dedicated page on the team website. The team said buying one of the limited Courtside Reserve seats now, which are being “offered in the smallest quantity to preserve the exclusivity of the courtside environment,” will move the purchaser to the front of the line to buy season tickets in the section.
That must mean Courtside Reserve won’t be one and done just for the postseason.
But how much will the seats cost per game? The Lakers did not reveal the number, but the New York Post reported Thursday that courtside seats in the regular season range from $4,000 to $10,000 per seat, depending on the day of week and the opponent. Playoff tickets can cost between $20,000 and $40,000 per seat, per game.
Since winning the NBA championship in the bubble in the 2019-20 pandemic season, the Lakers have failed to make the playoffs once, been eliminated in the first round three times and reached the conference finals once.
With three games left, the Lakers and Houston Rockets are tied with 50-29 records, but Los Angeles currently stands as the No. 4 seed based on tie-breakers. Being the No. 4 seeds guarantees home-court advantage in the first round.
If the standings remain the same, the Lakers would host the Rockets to open the playoffs.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Braves' Ronald Acuna Jr. exits vs. White Sox with hamstring tightness
May 31, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (13) hits a solo home run against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images Atlanta Braves star outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. exited Tuesday’s game at the Chicago White Sox in the fourth inning after sustaining an apparent left leg injury.
The team later described Acuna’s ailment as hamstring tightness.
While attempting to leg out an infield single, Acuna pulled up and hobbled past first base and then off the field into the locker room after appearing to sustain the injury on his final step before reaching the bag.
He was replaced in right field and atop the lineup by Eli White.
Acuna, the 2018 National League Rookie of the Year and 2023 NL MVP, missed 14 games earlier this season due to a hamstring strain while similarly trying to leg out an infield hit. He saw his 2021 and 2024 seasons end prematurely due to torn ACLs.
The five-time All-Star entered the day hitting .254 with seven homers and 22 RBIs in 52 games. He’s a career .287 hitter with 193 homers and 481 RBIs over 869 games across nine seasons with Atlanta.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Freddie Freeman posts 2,500th hit in 10-run 7th as Dodgers drub Pirates
Jun 9, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) hits an RBI single to record his twenty-five hundred MLB career hit against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the seventh inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Freddie Freeman recorded his 2,500th career hit, Andy Pages drove in three runs and Shohei Ohtani drove in two more during the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 10-run seventh inning, which propelled them to a 12-3 win over the host Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night.
In the seventh, Pages hit a two-run home run off Pirates reliever Wilber Dotel (1-1) and a sacrifice fly off Brandan Bidois. Ohtani hit an RBI double against Dotel, then Bidois walked him with the bases loaded to force in another run.
Freeman’s milestone came on an RBI single up the middle off Bidois to score Alex Freeland and cap the scoring in the inning.
Every Dodger in the starting lineup scored in the inning as the visitors sent 15 batters to the plate.
Paul Skenes started for the Pirates, who lost their fourth in a row, and gave up two runs on six hits and two walks and struck out seven over six innings.
Skenes retired Ohtani all three times he faced him, including a strikeout in the third.
Dotel allowed six runs (five earned) on five hits and one walk without recording an out. The Pirates needed 68 pitches and used three relievers until Mookie Betts lined out to left against Dennis Santana to end the seventh.
Dotel had allowed two runs in his first 16 2/3 career innings before Tuesday.
The first nine Dodgers reached safely until Dalton Rushing struck out in his second at-bat of the seventh. Rushing started behind the plate for the third consecutive game with Will Smith still dealing with neck stiffness.
Max Muncy finished with three hits and an RBI while Freeman, Betts, Freeland and Santiago Espinal each had two of Los Angeles’ 15 hits.
In the sixth, Will Klein (2-2) relieved starter Eric Lauer, who gave up two runs on back-to-back home runs by Bryan Reynolds and Ryan O’Hearn with two outs in the first. Lauer struck out five and allowed three hits and no walks before Klein struck out three over 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
Pittsburgh infielder Tyler Callihan made his first career pitching appearance and threw a scoreless ninth.
Oneil Cruz was a late scratch for the Pirates as he continues to deal with left hand discomfort.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Freddie Freeman posts 2,500th hit in 10-run 7th; Dodgers drub Pirates
Jun 9, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) hits an RBI single to record his twenty-five hundred MLB career hit against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the seventh inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Freddie Freeman recorded his 2,500th career hit, Andy Pages drove in three runs and Shohei Ohtani drove in two more during the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 10-run seventh inning, which propelled them to a 12-3 win over the host Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night.
In the seventh, Pages hit a two-run home run off Pirates reliever Wilber Dotel (1-1) and a sacrifice fly off Brandan Bidois. Ohtani hit an RBI double against Dotel, then Bidois walked him with the bases loaded to force in another run.
Freeman’s milestone came on an RBI single up the middle off Bidois to score Alex Freeland and cap the scoring in the inning.
Every Dodger in the starting lineup scored in the inning as the visitors sent 15 batters to the plate.
Paul Skenes started for the Pirates, who lost their fourth in a row, and gave up two runs on six hits and two walks and struck out seven over six innings.
Skenes retired Ohtani all three times he faced him, including a strikeout in the third.
Dotel allowed six runs (five earned) on five hits and one walk without recording an out. The Pirates needed 68 pitches and used three relievers until Mookie Betts lined out to left against Dennis Santana to end the seventh.
Dotel had allowed two runs in his first 16 2/3 career innings before Tuesday.
The first nine Dodgers reached safely until Dalton Rushing struck out in his second at-bat of the seventh. Rushing started behind the plate for the third consecutive game with Will Smith still dealing with neck stiffness.
Max Muncy finished with three hits and an RBI while Freeman, Betts, Freeland and Santiago Espinal each had two of Los Angeles’ 15 hits.
In the sixth, Will Klein (2-2) relieved starter Eric Lauer, who gave up two runs on back-to-back home runs by Bryan Reynolds and Ryan O’Hearn with two outs in the first. Lauer struck out five and allowed three hits and no walks before Klein struck out three over 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
Pittsburgh infielder Tyler Callihan made his first career pitching appearance and threw a scoreless ninth.
Oneil Cruz was a late scratch for the Pirates as he continues to deal with left hand discomfort.
–Field Level Media
Braves' Ronald Acuna Jr. exits vs. White Sox with hamstring tightness
Freddie Freeman posts 2,500th hit in 10-run 7th as Dodgers drub Pirates
