Sports
Lakers' vets paving way for series sweep over Rockets
Apr 24, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) celebrates with guard Luke Kennard (10) after scoring a basket during the fourth quarter against the Houston Rockets during game three of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images The two elder statesmen of the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James and Marcus Smart, had shouldered the load of a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback against the Houston Rockets in Game 3 of that first-round series, performing with the ideal blend of poise and desperation.
In the aftermath of the Lakers’ 112-108 overtime road victory, a win that provided the Lakers a 3-0 series lead and an opportunity to complete the sweep in Game 4 on Sunday, James was asked how he and his teammates mustered the gumption to dig deep and outlast the younger, healthier, and presumably hungrier Rockets.
James answered a question with a question.
“What else are we going to do?” James said. “We don’t have the luxury of thinking about another game. We have to be in the moment.
“I keep harping on it: we are missing some very important pieces to our ballclub. We don’t have the luxury of being passive or being complacent. Our whole mindset is we have to do everything it takes in that particular game, in that particular moment, in that particular possession in order for us to win basketball games because we don’t have a long leash or a lot of room for error.”
Initially left for dead without Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) — the latter is listed as questionable for Game 4 — the Lakers continue to defy the odds in both grand and minute ways. James (29 points, 13 rebounds, six assists) and Smart (21 points, 10 rebounds, five steals) were Herculean throughout Game 3, yet more was required in the waning moments, with the Rockets leading 101-95 and in possession with 30 seconds left.
Smart duped Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. into throwing an ill-advised pass, nabbed the ball, and drew a critical foul on Jae’Sean Tate while attempting a 3-pointer. Smart sank all three free throws to shave the deficit in half, and James followed by forcing a backcourt turnover on the ensuing Houston possession before drilling a trey with 13.6 seconds left to force overtime.
The Lakers coughed up a 15-point lead. Their hot shooting in the first half cooled considerably. But just when the Lakers appeared stuck in the mud, they discovered what was needed to survive. And after creating a second opportunity, the Lakers seized it in the extra period.
“Everything that we needed to do, even when it wasn’t pretty, we just found a way to do it,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “We’re playing hard. You have to do that to put yourself in a position to win.
“There are some things that we can execute better, but I thought from the beginning of the game we played with a sense of desperation, and we played like a team that was down (in the series).”
The Rockets were without their leading scorer, Kevin Durant, in Game 3. He is listed as questionable for Game 4 with Durant desperately treating the ankle sprain he sustained late in Game 2. Without Durant, the Rockets started the second-youngest lineup in a playoff game since starters were tracked in 1970-71, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. That youth was evident late.
Smith and Reed Sheppard committed baffling turnovers. The Rockets failed to run the correct play after James’ game-tying 3. The Rockets are a whopping plus-63 in field goal attempts in the series, but they’ve shot 28.7% from behind the arc. Houston has squandered its chances.
There is no precedent for a team rallying from an 0-3 series deficit. The Rockets will be challenged to get off the mat facing that history.
“Disappointed with the ending,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. “Some good things before that … so you’re doing some good things with the opportunity. But now you’ve got to go get one on Sunday.
“Don’t let this one beat you twice.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Three Teams That Screwed Up 2026 NFL Draft
Not every team can take home a prized draft pick, especially if they are throwing darts nowhere near the top of the board.
We can’t say enough great things about the Cleveland Browns and Las Vegas Raiders, Dallas Cowboys and New York Jets and their stadium co-tenants, the Giants. From top to bottom, there’s a lot to love about the Panthers’ draft, too.
But we have no worldly idea what a few other teams were thinking over the three-day NFL draft completed Saturday in Pittsburgh.
Jacksonville Jaguars
From all splash and sizzle in 2025 to … what-was-that vibes in 2026, maybe this is life with a 30-something general manager. We can’t say Travis Hunter, which cost Jacksonville a 2026 first-round pick in the deal with the Browns on draft night ’25, was a home run. Or even an infield single. And now we can’t say much at all about what the Jaguars did in this draft. The franchise is drafting “culture” and we’re anxious to find out how that computes year over year.
San Francisco 49ers
A jumbo receiver who would’ve been on the board 20 picks later De’Zhaun Stribling (Ole Miss) wasn’t entirely unexpected. But the 49ers signed Mike Evans and 2025 first-rounder Ricky Pearsall is being panned as a lead receiver. If these things compute internally, what’s the reward with Stribling? This isn’t a division where drafting depth over difference-makers can be a survival mode. Indiana RB Kaelon Black also would’ve been on the board later and he’s a niche player at best as long as the 49ers have the McCaffrey guy. So two of the top three picks are bit players in a division where everyone north of Arizona will be hyper competitive.
Atlanta Falcons
Clemson cornerback Avieon Terrell brings immediate value and it’s fair to wonder if the Falcons are having buyer’s remorse over the trade of a first-round pick for James Pearce Jr. in 2025 given his off-field issues. The draft wasn’t deep enough to find high-end pass rushers or offensive tackles in the late rounds. Using their third draft pick this year on Kendal Daniels (Oklahoma) at No. 134 is evidence the Falcons are hoping to hit the lottery on upside. Where Daniels fits in this defense is nowhere near clear at the moment.
Sports
Red Sox bats come alive in rout of Orioles
Apr 25, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Boston Red Sox center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela (3) hits an RBI single during the second inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images Garrett Crochet pitched six shutout innings and Andruw Monasterio drilled a late-game grand slam as the Boston Red Sox snapped a four-game losing streak with a 17-1 victory against the host Baltimore Orioles on Saturday afternoon.
Caleb Durbin and Willson Contreras joined Monasterio with ninth-inning home runs as part of Boston’s 10-run blitz in the final inning.
Contreras provided a sacrifice before batting twice in the ninth with a run-scoring single and a three-run homer to finish with five runs batted in. Connor Wong drilled a three-run double in the fifth inning. Monasterio and Ceddanne Rafaela had three hits apiece.
The Orioles, who racked up 20 hits Friday night, had one hit through five innings Saturday. Taylor Ward had two of Baltimore’s six hits.
Crochet (3-3), who had a couple of rough outings during a personal two-game losing skid, limited the Orioles to three hits and two walks while striking out seven batters. He allowed Coby Mayo’s double and two sixth-inning singles.
Baltimore starter Trevor Rogers (2-3) didn’t make it through the second inning. He was charged with three runs on four hits and two walks in 1 2/3 innings. He threw 48 pitches in the second.
Even with the seven runs through five innings, Boston’s run total was one more than the team’s total in its previous four games combined.
The Red Sox produced a three-run second inning with two outs, beginning with Durbin’s run-scoring double. Isiah Kiner-Falefa drove in a run with a single two batters later before Rafaela followed with a run-producing single.
Contreras delivered a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning. Wong came through with a two-out bases-clearing double in the fifth.
Boston’s four runs across the fourth and fifth innings off reliever Albert Suarez were unearned.
The Red Sox lost the shutout bid in the seventh when Tyler O’Neill, in his first game back from the concussion injury list, singled and later scored on Leody Taveras’ groundout. That run was unearned off Greg Weissert.
Rafaela led off the ninth with a triple and scored on Contreras’ single before Baltimore turned to utility player Weston Wilson on the mound.
The start of the game was moved up four hours because of weather-related concerns later in the day.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Galaxy, Real Salt Lake clash, dealing with crowded schedule
Mar 11, 2026; Carson, California, USA; LA Galaxy forward Ruben Ramos (24) shoots during the second half of a Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 Leg 1 soccer game against Mount Pleasant FA at Dignity Health Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images The rivalry between Real Salt Lake and the Los Angeles Galaxy is generally spirited, but both teams will be tasked with generating renewed energy when they meet Sunday at Carson, Calif.
Both teams are winding down a busy stretch of the schedule with their third matches in nine days. Putting together the lineups will be carefully calculated.
“There’s going to be a balance to that,” said Real Salt Lake coach Pablo Mastroeni, a former player with the Galaxy. “A lot of it has to do with how the guys who started last week recover. Maybe I go against what I typically do. We’ll look at all the factors … and make the best decisions for the group for Sunday.”
Real Salt Lake (5-2-1, 16 points) lost 2-0 to visiting Inter Miami on Wednesday after a two-game stretch of scoring seven total goals in a pair of victories.
Real Salt Lake will look to get rookie forward Sergi Solans rolling; he has five goals this season.
The Galaxy (2-4-3, 9 points) have allowed two goals in each of their past two games in going 0-1-1 in those road outings. That included Wednesday’s 2-1 setback at the Columbus Crew.
“We have to be able to move faster, anticipate more, and be cleaner under pressure in certain situations,” Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said.
The teams are longtime rivals, with the Galaxy owning 22 wins, Real Salt Lake winning 18 matchups and the teams playing to 13 draws.
Last year, Real Salt Lake midfielder Diego Luna had two goals in a five-minute stretch in a 2-0 victory. Recently, he has scored in two of the team’s last three matches.
The Galaxy will have lineup adjustments, so it’s unclear if teenager Ruben Ramos Jr. will receive his second consecutive start.
With so many matches in a short span, Vanney said that factored into decisions regarding playing time throughout the week. How some players have recovered since the mid-week game will determine lineups for Sunday.
“It’s a combination of things and choosing our lineup,” Vanney said. “Sometimes it’s not always exactly how I want to draw it up, it’s what we have.”
Joseph Paintsil could see an increased role, but Vanney is mindful that he’s coming off a hamstring injury. Injured defender Jakob Glesnes (calf), who has been out since mid-March, fits into that category as well.
“They don’t have a lot of training time because the games are also coming fast so unfortunately, we have to use the games to build up their fitness and their durability,” Vanney said.
L.A.’s Gabriel Pec will look to build off his performance in the Columbus game when he recorded his first goal of the season.
The Galaxy will be without forward Joao Klauss, who had foot surgery Friday stemming from an injury last weekend.
Real Salt Lake will play on the road for the first time in more than a month — since a March 22 draw at San Diego.
As part of the match’s festivities, a statue for former L.A. Galaxy star Cobi Jones will be unveiled outside the stadium.
–Field Level Media
