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Lakers' Luka Doncic in question as road trip continues at Wizards

NBA: Los Angeles Lakers at Cleveland CavaliersJan 28, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) dribbles beside Cleveland Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill (5) in the first quarter at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Lakers continue a season-long eight-game road swing on Friday when they take to the nation’s capital to face the Washington Wizards.

Los Angeles fell to 3-2 on its eight-game, 14-day odyssey with a 129-99 blowout loss at Cleveland on Wednesday. The 30-point margin of defeat marked the Lakers’ most lopsided of the season.

Compounding problems on Wednesday was the exit of Luka Doncic in the first quarter with an apparent left leg injury sustained when he fell from Cleveland’s elevated court. The All-NBA guard returned to the lineup and scored 29 points in almost 30 minutes of action, but told reporters following the contest that “obviously, (I) wasn’t 100 percent.”

Doncic’s status for Friday is unclear as of Thursday. The NBA’s leading scorer at 33.6 points per game, the potential absence of Doncic adds to recent woes with 26.6-point per game scorer Austin Reaves sidelined since Dec. 25 with a calf injury.

With injuries impacting the rotation, Lakers coach JJ Redick said that against Cleveland “substitution patterns got a little bit out of whack.”

In addition to the uncertainty in the immediate future from injuries, the longer-term outlook for LeBron James is another hot topic for Los Angeles ahead of Friday’s contest. Cameras captured a visibly emotional James during a tribute video played in his return to Cleveland, where he spent tenures from 2003-10 and 2014-18 before joining the Lakers.

“I don’t know what the future holds,” James said. “Just try to live in the moment and not take it for granted; try to be present.”

After missing the campaign’s first 14 dates, the 41-year-old James is averaging 22 points and 5.9 rebounds per game — both season-long lows for the 21-time All-NBA honoree after his 2003-04 rookie year.

James finished with 11 points on 3-of-10 shooting and committed six turnovers on Wednesday.

Washington, meanwhile, comes into Friday’s matchup chasing a feat it has yet to reach in 2025-26: scoring a third consecutive win.

The Wizards earned a 109-99 win on Thursday over the flailing Milwaukee Bucks, coming on the heels of a 115-111 defeat of Portland on Tuesday.

This marks just the third time this season Washington has won consecutive games. In their two previous attempts to score a third straight victory, the Wizards lost by 14 and 26 points to Phoenix and Minnesota.

Friday’s pursuit of three in a row is Washington’s first since trading CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert to Atlanta for Trae Young. The four-time All-Star Young has yet to debut for the Wizards since the Jan. 7 deal was announced, remaining sidelined with a quadriceps injury that has shelved him since Dec. 27.

This week’s wins over the Trail Blazers and Bucks are Washington’s first victories since shipping out McCollum and Kispert. Second-year big man Alex Sarr recorded double-doubles in both contests, following up his 29-point, 12-rebound performance on Tuesday with 16 points and a career-high 17 boards vs. Milwaukee.

“Just trying to find energy, do what we usually do. … That’s very fun,” Sarr said in his postgame interview with NBA on Prime. “We just have to see what worked for us and keep it rolling.”

One thing that’s worked for Washington this week has been the scoring of Kyshawn George, who went for 19 and 23 points the last two outings.

–Field Level Media

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Jose Ramirez hits 3 doubles to guide Guardians over Yankees

May 31, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (11) celebrates after scoring during the fifth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn ImagesMay 31, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (11) celebrates after scoring during the fifth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Jose Ramirez hit a tiebreaking double with one out in the fifth inning and the visiting Cleveland Guardians earned a 9-4 victory over the New York Yankees on Tuesday.

Ramirez had three doubles for the fifth time in his storied career, and the first since Aug. 26, 2024 against Kansas City.

He doubled in three straight at-bats in the fourth, fifth and seventh, producing his third three-hit game this season.

Ramirez’s second double snapped a 4-4 tie. After the Guardians loaded the bases when Brayan Rocchio was plunked by New York’s Cam Schlittler (7-3), rookie Travis Bazzana lifted a sacrifice fly to tie the game.

Ramirez followed by ripping a 2-2 curveball over first baseman Ben Rice and to the right field corner as Patrick Bailey easily scored. Ramirez added an insurance run with a double to left field in the seventh off Tim Hill to put Cleveland ahead 6-4.

Bazzana padded the lead with a bases-clearing double in the eighth off Camilo Doval as the Guardians collected 12 hits, marking the fourth time in five games they totaled double-digit hits.

Paul Goldschmidt drove in all four runs for the Yankees, who lost for the second time in eight games. Goldschmidt gave New York a 2-1 lead with a two-run homer off Joey Cantillo in the third and added a two-run single in the fourth for a 4-3 advantage.

Schlittler endured his shortest outing this season and allowed five runs (four earned) on five hits in 4 1/3 innings. The right-hander struck out three and walked none.

Kyle Manzardo hit a two-run homer off Schlittler’s first-pitch cutter that landed in the right-center field seats to give Cleveland a 3-2 lead in the fourth.

Cantillo allowed four runs on six hits in four innings. The left-hander struck out four and walked three.

Five relievers followed Cantillo and allowed two hits the rest of the way. Colin Holderman (4-1) stranded a runner in the fifth and Matt Festa finished with a 1-2-3 ninth.

–Field Level Media

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Reds rally late, walk off with 10-inning win over Royals

inning of the MLB Interleague game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Kansas City Royals at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Tuesday, June 2, 2026. The Reds won 4-3 on a walkoff hit by Blake Dunn, scoring Spencer Steer from second base in the 10th inning.inning of the MLB Interleague game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Kansas City Royals at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Tuesday, June 2, 2026. The Reds won 4-3 on a walkoff hit by Blake Dunn, scoring Spencer Steer from second base in the 10th inning.

Blake Dunn’s RBI single in the 10th inning completed a comeback and gave the host Cincinnati Reds a 4-3 walk-off win over the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night.

Spencer Steer hit two home runs and scored the winning run as the automatic runner for the Reds, who won for the second time in the last six games.

Will Benson’s pinch-hit home run to right field off Royals closer Lucas Erceg leading off the bottom of the ninth tied the game at 3-all.

Dunn’s game-winning hit, off John Schreiber (0-3), was the only Reds’ hit that was not a home run.

Brock Burke (2-2) earned the win with a scoreless 10th.

The loss spoiled a gem by Royals starter Noah Cameron, who retired 20 of the 21 batters he faced. Kansas City has lost seven of its last eight.

Cameron only allowed Steer’s first homer, did not walk a batter and struck out eight.

Steer’s second home run of the game, a drive to right-center leading off the eighth, pulled Cincinnati to within 3-2. His ninth homer was an opposite field drive into the stands in right-center.

Reds starter Andrew Abbott gave up three runs on five hits in six innings with four walks and five strikeouts.

Steer’s first home run of the game, a shot to left-center, came with one out in the fifth after Cameron had retired the first 13 Cincinnati batters.

The Royals took a 3-0 lead in the fourth on a fielder’s choice groundout with the bases loaded by Jac Caglianone and a bases-loaded, two-run, two-out single by Michael Massey.

Cameron made an outstanding defensive play for the first out of the third on Dunn’s attempt for a bunt single. Dunn bunted the ball between the mound and first, and Cameron, in one motion, picked up the ball with a backhand swipe and flipped it out of his glove first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino.

Reds center fielder Dane Myers made a leaping catch at the wall on Starling Marte’s long drive for the second out of the fifth.

–Field Level Media

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Twins prevail over White Sox; halt Davis Martin's 6-game win streak

Jun 2, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins third baseman Brooks Lee (22) hits a single during the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Johnson-Imagn ImagesJun 2, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins third baseman Brooks Lee (22) hits a single during the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Johnson-Imagn Images

Tristan Gray went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs, and the Minnesota Twins held on for a 6-4 win over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night in Minneapolis.

Luke Keaschall added a pair of hits and drove in two runs for Minnesota, which secured a series victory. Alex Jackson finished 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Miguel Vargas went 1-for-4 with two RBIs to lead Chicago at the plate. The White Sox have dropped back-to-back games after winning their previous five in a row.

Twins left-hander Connor Prielipp (2-3) allowed four runs on six hits in six innings. He walked two and struck out seven.

White Sox right-hander Davis Martin (8-2) endured his shortest outing of the season. Martin gave up six runs on 10 hits in 4 2/3 innings. The loss snapped a six-game winning streak and he suffered his first setback since April 10.

Twins right-hander Yoendrys Gomez got the final four outs to record his fourth save.

The White Sox opened the scoring with three runs in the top of the third.

Luisangel Acuna started the action when he drew a leadoff walk, stole second base and scored on a throwing error by Jackson. The White Sox had runners on second and third with one out later in the inning, and Vargas delivered with a two-run single to left to make it 3-0.

The hit gave Vargas six RBIs in the first two games of the series.

The Twins got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third. Brooks Lee hit a sacrifice fly to left, plating Gray.

Minnesota added four runs in the fourth to seize a 5-3 lead.

Keaschall started the scoring with an RBI single to left. Gray followed with a two-run single to left, and Jackson capped the outburst with an RBI single to right.

Gray, who hit a grand slam and drove in five runs in the series opener, has 11 RBIs in his past five games.

The Twins increased their lead to 6-3 on another RBI single by Keaschall in the fifth.

Chase Meidroth notched an RBI infield single in the seventh to cut Chicago’s deficit to 6-4. But he fanned to end the eighth with two runners on base.

–Field Level Media

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