The Sports Report: Lakers and their fans can walk with pride

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

From Bill Plaschke: LeBron James had the season on his hands, the series in his legs, the beginnings of a miracle within his reach.

Yet, in the end, he just couldn’t get high enough.

In a play that typified the Lakers uphill battle of a season, James’ potential score-tying jumper was blocked by Denver’s Aaron Gordon in the final seconds Monday to cement the Nuggets’ 113-111 victory and a four-game sweep of the Western Conference Finals.

A sweep, but it wasn’t ugly, the Lakers battling the Nuggets into the fourth quarter in every game.

“The thing that gives me joy is the fact that we competed every night,” said Lakers coach Darvin Ham. “I just told the guys to take stock of what this meant.”

A sweep, but it wasn’t embarrassing, the Lakers consistently and relentlessly pushing against a clearly superior team.

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NBA PLAYOFFS
Results, schedule
All times Pacific
Conference finals

Western Conference

No. 1 Denver vs. No. 7 Lakers
Game 1: at Denver 132, Lakers 126
Game 2: at Denver 108, Lakers 103
Game 3: Denver 119, at Lakers 108
Game 4: Denver 113, at Lakers 111

Eastern Conference

No. 2 Boston vs. No. 8 Miami
Game 1: Miami 123, at Boston 116
Game 2: Miami 111, at Boston 105
Game 3: at Miami 128, Boston 102
Today at Miami, 5:30 p.m., TNT
*Thursday at Boston, 5:30 p.m., TNT
*Saturday at Miami, 5:30 p.m., TNT
*Monday at Boston, 5:30 p.m., TNT

*-if necessary

NHL PLAYOFFS

Results, schedule
All times Pacific
Conference finals

Western Conference

Vegas (P1) vs. Dallas Stars (C2)
Game 1: at Vegas 4, Dallas 3 (OT)
Game 2: at Vegas 3, Dallas 2 (OT)
Today at Dallas, 5 p.m., ESPN
Thursday at Dallas, 5 p.m., ESPN
*Saturday at Vegas, 5 p.m., ABC
*Monday at Dallas, 5 p.m., ESPN
*Wed., May 31 at Vegas, 6 p.m., ESPN

Eastern Conference

Carolina (M1) vs. Florida (WC2)
Game 1: Florida 4, at Carolina 3 (4 OT)
Game 2: Florida 2, at Carolina 1 (OT)
Game 3: at Florida 1, Carolina 0
Wednesday at Florida, 5 p.m., TNT
*Friday at Carolina, 5 p.m., TNT
*Sunday at Florida, 5 p.m., TNT
*Tuesday, May 30 at Carolina, 5 p.m., TNT

*-if necessary

DODGERS

From Jack Harris: The first inning couldn’t have gone much worse for the Dodgers on Monday night.

Rookie center fielder James Outman misplayed a fly ball on a leadoff double, leading to one run. Rookie right-hander Gavin Stone, called up for the second big league start of his career, yielded a three-run home run a few batters later.

By the time the side was retired, the first-place Atlanta Braves had sent nine batters to plate, forced Stone to throw 34 pitches and surged out to an early four-run lead — one that felt close to insurmountable in front of a sold-out Truist Park.

Slowly but surely, the team clawed its way back into the game, taking the lead on a three-run homer by Freddie Freeman in the fifth and hanging on from there for an impressive, unexpected 8-6 win.

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ANGELS

From Sarah Valenzuela: Jaime Barría has not been in this position in a while.

The Angels’ right-hander made a spot start in the first game of a doubleheader against a strong Mariners team in Seattle on Aug. 6, 2022. He limited the Mariners to two runs in 4 2/3 innings. It was the only time last season he wasn’t used out of the bullpen.

On Monday, with the Angels needing a starter after deciding Chase Silseth was better suited in the bullpen, Barría was given the ball to start a game once again.

Barría wasted no time, giving up two hits and no runs while striking out six in five innings against the Boston Red Sox in the Angels’ 2-1 victory on Monday. It was a brilliant performance for his first start of the season. His outing included three one-two-three innings, and with good defense, he kept his pitch count down.

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THIS DATE IN SPORTS

1876 — Joe Borden of Boston pitches the first no-hitter in NL history.

1884 — Knight of Ellersie, ridden by S. Fischer, wins the two-horse Preakness Stakes by two lengths over Welcher.

1901 — The Cleveland Indians score nine runs with two outs in the ninth inning to beat the Washington Senators 14-13.

1922 — Future World Heavyweight boxing champion Gene Tunney suffers his only pro defeat in a 15-round unanimous loss to Harry Greb at Madison Square Garden, N.Y.

1935 — The first major league night game, scheduled for Cincinnati, is postponed because of rain.

1936 — Rushaway, ridden by John Longden, wins his second derby in as many days, taking the 1 1/4-mile Latonia Derby at Latonia in Covington, Ky. Rushaway had won the 1 1/8-mile Illinois Derby, run at Aurora, Ill., the previous day.

1941 — In his 20th World Heavyweight Boxing title defense, Joe Louis knocks out Buddy Baer in Round 1 at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

1953 — Native Dancer, ridden by Eric Guerin, avenges the loss in the Kentucky Derby by edging Jamie K. by a neck to win the Preakness Stakes.

1962 — Joe Pepitone becomes the second Yankee to hit two homers in one inning (Joe DiMaggio).

1964 — Dale Greig runs female marathon world record (3:27:45).

1968 — AC Milan of Italy win 8th European Cup Winner’s Cup against Hamburger SV of West Germany 2-0 in Rotterdam.

1976 — Boston center Dave Cowens dominates the opener of the NBA Finals against Phoenix with a 25-point, 21-rebound performance and the Celtics defeat the Suns, 98-87.

1981 — Puerto Rican boxer Wilfred Benítez (22) becomes the youngest 3-division world champion in history by knocking out WBC World Super Welterweight champion Maurice Hope in 12 rounds in Las Vegas.

1991 — Paul Dougherty scores two goals and adds two assists to help the San Diego Sockers win their fourth consecutive Major Indoor Soccer League championship with an 8-6 victory over the Cleveland Crunch.

1997 — In the first all-freshman singles final in NCAA history, Stanford’s Lilia Osterloh beats Florida’s M.C. White 6-1, 6-1 to win the women’s singles tennis championship.

2001 — 9th UEFA Champions League Final: Bayern Munich beats Valencia (1-1, 5-4 on penalties) at Milan.

2002 — Dodgers slugger Shawn Green becomes the 14th man in major league history to homer four times in a game and sets a big league record with 19 total bases. He is 6-for-6, scoring six times with seven RBIs in a 16-3 win at Milwaukee.

2005 — Anastasia Myskina is the first defending champion at the French Open to be eliminated in the opening round, losing to Spain’s Maria Sanchez Lorenzo 6-4, 4-6, 6-0.

2007 — UEFA Champions League Final, Athens: Filippo Inzaghi scores twice as AC Milan beats Liverpool, 2-1 for 7th title.

2009 — Alabama sophomore Kelsi Dunne becomes the first player to throw back-to-back no-hitters in NCAA postseason play. Dunne holds Jacksonville State hitless for the second straight day in a 9-0 softball victory. The two no-hitters tie the NCAA postseason record. It’s Dunne’s fourth of the season and a school-record six for her career.

2013 — Patrick Roy is named head coach of the Colorado Avalanche, his former team where he won two Stanley Cups.

2018 — NFL owners approve new NFL national anthem policy whereby players required to stand if they choose to be on the field for pre-game presentations.

2021 — Phil Mickelson wins the 2021 PGA Championship by two strokes to become the oldest major winner (50) in PGA history.

—Compiled by the Associated Press

And finally...

Shawn Green hits four home runs in one game. Watch and listen here.