The Sports Report: Will Kawhi Leonard play in Game 1 for the Clippers?

Howdy, I’m your host, Houston Mitchell. Let’s get right to the news.

From Broderick Turner: As coach Ty Lue prepared his Clippers this week to face the Dallas Mavericks in the playoffs Sunday, he was asked if part of his game plan included not having Kawhi Leonard in Game 1.

“No, I’m preparing for him, to have him on the court,” Lue said before practice Wednesday.

That was the strongest statement Lue has made yet about Leonard’s availability, even though it wasn’t a full declaration that his star would play in the first game of the first-round best-of-seven series.

Leonard missed the last eight regular-season games with right-knee inflammation.

He has been limited in practice Tuesday and Wednesday.

Lue was asked if all goes well with Leonard ramping up at the practices means his best player is a go for the first game.

“Yeah, not sure yet,” Lue said. “Just like I said, letting medical take over and you know, whatever is the best thing for Kawhi, making sure you protect him first. But whatever is best for him is what we’re going to do. Not sure of the minutes yet, or how long he’ll be able to play. So we’re just, we just kind of wait and take it day by day.”

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NBA PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE

All times Pacific

Play-in tournament

Western Conference

Friday
No. 9 Sacramento at No. 7 New Orleans, 6:30 p.m., TNT

Eastern Conference

Wednesday
No. 7 Philadelphia 105, No. 8 Miami 104
No. 9 Chicago 131, No. 10 Atlanta 116

Friday
No. 9 Chicago at No. 8 Miami, 4 p.m., ESPN

Note: Winner of the Nos. 7 vs. No. 8 game advance to the playoffs as the No. 7 seed. Loser of the game advances to a second play-in game to play the winner of the game between the Nos. 9 and 10 seeds. The winner of that game become the No. 8 seed in their respective conference.

FIRST ROUND

Western Conference

No. 1 Oklahoma City vs. No. 8 TBA
Sunday at Oklahoma City, 6:30 p.m., TNT
Wednesday at Oklahoma City, 6:30 p.m., TNT
Saturday, April 27 at TBA, 12:30 p.m., TNT
Monday, April 29 at TBA, TBD
*Wednesday, May 1 at Oklahoma City, TBD
*Friday, May 3 at TBA, TBD
*Sunday, May 5 at Oklahoma City, TBD

No. 2 Denver vs. No. 7 Lakers
Saturday at Denver, 5:30 p.m., ABC
Monday at Denver, 7 p.m., TNT
Thursday at Lakers, 7 p.m., TNT
Saturday, April 27 at Lakers, 5:30 p.m., ABC
*Monday, Aprill 29 at Denver, TBD
*Thursday, May 2 at Lakers, TBD
*Saturday, May 4 at Denver, TBD

No. 3 Minnesota vs. No. 6 Phoenix
Saturday at Minnesota, 12:30 p.m., ESPN
Tuesday at Minnesota, 4:30 p.m., TNT
Friday, April 26 at Phoenix, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Sunday, April 28 at Phoenix, 6:30 p.m., TNT
*Tuesday, April 30 at Minnesota, TBD
*Thursday, May 2 at Phoenix, TBD
*Saturday, May 4 at Minnesota, TBD

No. 4 Clippers vs. No. 5 Dallas
Sunday at Clippers, 12:30 p.m., ABC
Tuesday at Clippers, 7 p.m., TNT
Friday, April 26 at Dallas, 5 p.m., ESPN
Sunday, April 28 at Dallas, 5 p.m., ABC
*Wednesday, May 1 at Clippers, TBD
*Friday, May 3 at Dallas, TBD
*Sunday, May 5 at Clippers, TBD

Eastern Conference

No. 1 Boston vs. No. 8 TBA
Sunday at Boston, 10 a.m., ABC
Wednesday at Boston, 4 p.m., TNT
Sat., April 27 at TBA, 3 p.m., TNT
Mon., April 29 at TBA, TBD
*Wed., May 1 at Boston, TBD
*Friday, May 3 at TBA, TBD
*Sunday, May 5 at Boston, TBD

No. 2 New York vs. No. 7 Philadelphia
Saturday at New York, 3 p.m., ESPN
Monday at New York, 4:30 p.m., TNT
Thursday, April 25 at Philadelphia, 4:30 p.m., TNT
Sunday, April 28 at Philadelphia, 10 a.m., ABC
*Tuesday, April 30 at New York, TBD
*Thursday, May 2 at Philadelphia, TBD
*Saturday, May 4 at New York, TBD

No. 3 Milwaukee vs. No. 6 Indiana
Sunday at Milwaukee, 4 p.m., TNT
Tuesday at Milwaukee, 5:30 p.m., NBA TV
Friday, April 26 at Indiana, 2:30 p.m., ESPN
Sunday, April 28 at Indiana, 4 p.m., TNT
*Tuesday, April 30 at Milwaukee, TBD
*Thursday, May 2 at Indiana, TBD
*Saturday, May 4 at Milwaukee, TBD

No. 4 Cleveland vs. No. 5 Orlando
Saturday at Cleveland, 10 a.m., ESPN
Monday at Cleveland, 4 p.m., NBA TV
Thursday at Orlando, 4 p.m., NBA TV
Saturday, April 27 at Orlando, 10 a.m., TNT
*Tuesday, April 30 at Cleveland, TBD
*Friday, May 3 at Orlando, TBD
*Sunday, May 5 at Cleveland, TBD

*-if necessary

DODGERS

From Mike DiGiovanna: Dodgers right-hander Landon Knack recovered from a brutal two-run, three-hit, 28-pitch first inning in his big-league debut to blank the Washington Nationals on one hit over the next four innings and keep the Dodgers within striking distance on Wednesday.

But the Dodgers never struck.

An offense that ranks second in the major leagues in runs and homers and fourth in on-base-plus-slugging percentage mustered only five hits off Nationals starter Jake Irvin and three relievers in a 2-0 loss before a matinee crowd of 44,428 in Chavez Ravine.

The top four batters in the Dodgers’ lineup, who had produced a big-league best .342 average and .973 OPS entering Wednesday, had only three hits — all singles by Shohei Ohtani — and one walk and struck out twice in 16 plate appearances. The Dodgers were hitless in seven at-bats with runners in scoring position.

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Dodgers box score

MLB scores

MLB standings

ANGELS

Anthony Rendon and Taylor Ward hit run-scoring singles off struggling closer Pete Fairbanks in the ninth inning and the Angels beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 on Wednesday night.

Fairbanks (0-2) has 9.00 ERA in eight games this season with seven earned runs given up in seven innings.

Amed Rosario gave the Rays a 4-3 lead with a two-run homer in the eighth off Hunter Strickland (1-0), who gave up a two-out single in a scoreless ninth to seal the win.

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Angels box score

MLB scores

MLB standings

UCLA FOOTBALL

From Ben Bolch: He roams the practice field he once ruled, accommodating a malleable cast of characters.

UCLA’s football-launching machine is on the fritz? DeShaun Foster flips balls into the air so his punt returners don’t waste any time in spring practice.

A herd of recruits want to visit? Foster lingers to greet every one, the smiles genuine, the handshakes firm.

Reporters want answers? Foster provides transparent injury updates, gives specifics about his plans, explains his thinking.

Lest he leave any doubt about who’s in charge, Foster provided a firm reminder when asked about his level of ownership in what’s going on.

“I mean, this is my team, there’s no question about that,” Foster said, “so there’s no putting my stamp on it; what we do is what I want, you know?”

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USC FOOTBALL

From Ryan Kartje: Until Lincoln Riley was standing in his living room, late one night last December, DeCarlos Nicholson hadn’t given much serious consideration to leaving Mississippi. He’d spent his entire life in the state. His family lived there. His son had been born there. Everything he knew was within a few hundred miles radius of Hattiesburg.

But now here was USC’s head coach, asking the cornerback to consider moving a world away. Just come visit, he told Nicholson and his family. See what L.A. has to offer.

Riley wasn’t sure, at first, if they would. “I think in the beginning it was kind of a little bit far-out-there for them,” he said.

Nicholson had only really entertained the thought of leaving home once before, committing out of junior college in 2021 to Kentucky. But that December, on early signing day, Nicholson flipped at the last minute to Mississippi State. Starkville was just a two-hour drive from home.

“I always talked about people getting out of Mississippi and putting Mississippi on the map, so to speak,” Nicholson said. “I guess I was kind of scared to do it.”

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WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: Caitlin Clark already heard her name called once this week, but the most heralded No. 1 draft pick in WNBA history is still in contention to make an even more exclusive roster this summer.

Before even playing a WNBA game, Clark has already become a key figure in the U.S. Olympic roster discussion as the United States goes for its eighth consecutive Olympic gold medal this summer in Paris. The Iowa star was invited to participate in the senior national team’s training camp in April, but could not attend as the Hawkeyes advanced to the Final Four on the same weekend.

A six-person committee, which is led by U.S. 3x3 head coach Jennifer Rizzotti and South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley and includes former star player Seimone Augustus, will make the final decision. Cheryl Reeve, who is taking over national tem head coach duties from Staley, will not play a significant role in the selection process. The Minnesota Lynx coach and president of basketball operations is happy to sit this one out.

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NHL

NHL scores

NHL standings

THIS DATE IN SPORTS

1908 — Tommy Burns knocks out Jewey Smith in the fifth round in Paris to retain the world heavyweight title.

1946 — Jackie Robinson debuts as a second baseman for the Montreal Royals.

1959 — The Montreal Canadiens win their fourth consecutive Stanley Cup with a 5-3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs in the fifth game.

1962 — Boston’s Bill Russell scores 30 points and grabs 40 rebounds to lead the Celtics to a 110-107 overtime win over the Lakers and their fourth consecutive NBA title. Russell’s 40-rebound effort matches his NBA Finals record set on March 29, 1960.

1966 — Bill Russell is named the coach of the Boston Celtics to become the first Black man to be head coach of an NBA team.

1984 — Joan Benoit runs world record female marathon.

1987 — Philadelphia’s Mike Schmidt hits his 500th home run with two out in the ninth to rally the Phillies to an 8-6 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates at Three Rivers Stadium.

1988 — Ibrahim Hussein of Kenya battles past Juma Ikangaa of Tanzania in the final 100 yards to win the Boston Marathon by 1 second, the closest ever.

1995 — Quarterback Joe Montana announces his retirement from football.

1998 — NFL Draft: Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning first pick by Indianapolis Colts.

1999 — Wayne Gretzky ends his NHL career at Madison Square Garden with an assist, setting up a second-period goal as his New York Rangers fall to Pittsburgh 2-1 in overtime. Before the game, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announces the league is retiring No. 99 in honor of “The Great One.”

2001 — A.C. Green plays in his 1,192th consecutive game, which remains the NBA record. His streak began on November 19, 1986.

2005 — Defending champion Catherine Ndereba of Kenya becomes the first woman to win a fourth Boston Marathon.

2007 — Mark Buehrle of the Chicago White Sox faces the minimum 27 batters in a 6-0 no-hit victory over the Texas Rangers. Buehrle walks Sammy Sosa with one out in the fifth, then promptly picks him off first base.

2008 — NBA owners give approval of a potential Seattle SuperSonics’ relocation to Oklahoma City in a 28–2 vote by the Board of Governors.

2017 — Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo becomes first player to score 100 goals in the Champions League.

Compiled by the Associated Press