The Sports Report: Clippers sign Tyronn Lue to long-term deal
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From Broderick Turner: Tyronn Lue and the Clippers agreed to a five-year, $70-million contract extension that will make him one of the highest-paid coaches in the NBA, according to people with knowledge of the deal not authorized to speak publicly about it.
The Clippers announced the extension Wednesday but did not disclose terms.
The sides had been making progress on a deal, with Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank both focused on reaching an agreement while negotiating with Lue’s agent, Andy Miller of Klutch Sports, according to a person familiar with the talks not authorized to discuss them publicly.
By keeping Lue, who is considered one of the best coaches in the NBA, the Clippers have one of their foundation pieces for their move into Intuit Dome next season. Lue had one year left on his contract.
After the Clippers lost to the Dallas Mavericks in Game 6 of the Western Conference playoffs, Lue expressed his desire to stay with the team and to get a deal done, saying he “didn’t come here to bounce around, go all over the place.”
“This is where I want to be and hopefully they feel the same way,” Lue said after the short-handed Clippers were eliminated. “I haven’t had a better experience since I’ve been here. Mr. Ballmer showed me a lot of different things that wouldn’t be privy to if I wasn’t here. ... So, just having a great relationship with the owner, the front office, it’s great. And, so, I would love to be here long term.”
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LAKERS
From Dan Woike: New Orleans assistant coach James Borrego is scheduled for in-person meetings Wednesday at the Lakers’ practice facility related to the team’s head coaching vacancy, according to multiple people familiar with the plans but unauthorized to speak publicly.
He worked with the Pelicans last season following a four-year stint with the Hornets, where he went 138-163. In his final season with the Hornets, Borrego led Charlotte to a 43-39 record.
Borrego was an assistant in San Antonio and Orlando and spent two seasons at the start of his career in New Orleans, just prior to Anthony Davis’ arrival.
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DODGERS
From Jack Harris: The Dodgers weren’t supposed to begin this week with an off day Monday.
Given the unexpectedly mild weather that passed over Citi Field that afternoon, it probably didn’t need to be either.
But, with (ultimately unfounded) rain showers threatening in the pregame forecast, the Dodgers’ Memorial Day matinee against the New York Mets was called off early.
Two days, three wins and 18 runs from a once-slumping lineup later, it’s hard to not see the rainout now as a blessing in disguise.
“I think that [off day on Monday] was a good thing for us,” manager Dave Roberts said.
“A lot of us took that,” first baseman Freddie Freeman added, “and kind of ran with it.”
They took both games of a Tuesday doubleheader. They completed a three-game series sweep with an 10-3 blowout Wednesday.
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ANGELS
Luis Gil struck out nine and won his sixth straight start, continuing a record run by the starters, Alex Verdugo homered and the New York Yankees bounced back with a 2-1 victory over the Angels on Wednesday night.
Anthony Volpe extended his hitting streak to 21 games with two hits, tying the longest run in the majors this season. He also scored a run.
Logan O’Hoppe had a solo shot for the Angels, who have dropped four of five.
NBA PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE
All times Pacific
Conference finals
Western Conference
No. 3 Minnesota vs. No. 5 Dallas
Dallas 108, at Minnesota 105 (box score)
Dallas 109, at Minnesota 108 (box score)
at Dallas 116, Minnesota 107 (box score)
Minnesota 105, at Dallas 100 (box score)
Thursday at Minnesota, 5:30 p.m., TNT
*Saturday at Dallas, 5:30 p.m., TNT
*Monday at Minnesota, 5:30 p.m.. TNT
Eastern Conference
No. 1 Boston vs. No. 6 Indiana
at Boston 133, Indiana 128 (OT) (box score)
at Boston 126, Indiana 110 (box score)
Boston 114, at Indiana 111 (box score)
Boston 105, at Indiana 102 (box score)
NBA Finals
Thursday, June 6 at Boston, 5:30 p.m., ABC
Sunday, June 9 at Boston, 5 p.m., ABC
Wed., June 12 at TBD, 5:30 p.m., ABC
Friday, June 14 at TBD, 5:30 p.m., ABC
*Monday, June 17 at Boston, 5:30 p.m., ABC
*Thursday, June 20 at TBD, 5:30 p.m., ABC
*Sunday, June 23, at Boston, 5 p.m., ABC
*-if necessary
CHARGERS
From Jeff Miller: The Chargers were supposed to be good defensively under former head coach Brandon Staley.
He had just coordinated the Rams’ defense to No. 1 in points and yards allowed when the Chargers hired him in January of 2021.
Instead, Staley’s defenses underwhelmed in an imperfect storm of unyielding inconsistency, blown assignments and general disarray.
In his just-short-of three seasons, the Chargers finished 29th, 21st and 24th in points allowed and 23rd, 20th and 28th in yards surrendered.
Staley’s final game featured his defense giving up seven touchdowns by the 10-minute mark of the third quarter. He was fired the next morning.
Now, the Chargers defense is under the direction of Jesse Minter.
“I think,” Mike Elston said, “he’s the best game-day coordinator I’ve worked with in terms of calling a game.”
UCLA SOFTBALL
From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: On the basketball court, Gabriela Jaquez is in constant motion. The 6-foot sophomore forward cuts to the rim with precision, sprints down the floor without abandon and scores in bunches. Although undersized on the wing, Jaquez has become a fan favorite at Pauley Pavilion for her heart, hustle and toughness.
It’s why the Bruins call her “All Gas Gabs.”
Jaquez is now putting the pedal to the metal for the softball team.
The basketball star joined the UCLA softball program as a pinch runner this month as the Bruins were trying to boost their speed and depth for the NCAA tournament. Two years after last playing the sport as a senior at Camarillo High, Jaquez scored a run in her collegiate softball debut during the NCAA super regional, helping the No. 6 Bruins sweep Georgia to advance to their eighth Women’s College World Series in nine years. UCLA (42-10) faces No. 14 Alabama on Thursday in the first round at 9 a.m. PDT (ESPN) in Oklahoma City’s Devon Park.
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GALAXY
Dejan Joveljic scored twice and Riqui Puig added his fifth goal of the season to help the Galaxy beat FC Dallas 3-1 on Wednesday night.
The Galaxy (7-2-7) secured their second win in the last seven matches to remain unbeaten at home this season.
Dallas (3-7-4) was looking for its first road win of the season, having only managed two draws and five losses.
LAFC
Denis Bouanga scored on a first-half penalty kick, Mateusz Bogusz added a late goal and Hugo Lloris notched his fourth straight clean sheet to help LAFC up its win streak to four and end Minnesota United’s six-match unbeaten run with a 2-0 victory on Wednesday night.
LAFC (8-4-3), which lost to the Columbus Crew in the championship match last season, dropped a 3-1 decision on the road to the San Jose Earthquakes to begin the month and has not lost or surrendered a goal since.
Minnesota United (7-3-4) had used a 4-0-2 run to climb into a second-place tie in the Western Conference. The loss drops the club into fourth place — one behind LAFC and two behind the Galaxy. Real Salt Lake leads the conference with 30 points.
NHL PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE
All times Pacific
Conference finals
Western Conference
C1 Dallas vs. P2 Edmonton
Edmonton 3, at Dallas 2 (2 OT) (box score)
at Dallas 3, Edmonton 1 (box score)
Dallas 5, at Edmonton 3 (box score)
at Edmonton 5, Dallas 2 (box score)
Friday at Dallas, 5:30 p.m., TNT
Sunday at Edmonton, 5 p.m., TNT
*Tuesday at Dallas, 5:30 p.m., TNT
Eastern Conference
M1 New York Rangers vs. A1 Florida
Florida 3, at New York 0 (box score)
at New York 2, Florida 1 (OT) (box score)
New York 5, Florida 4 (OT) (box score)
at Florida 3, New York 2 (OT) (box score)
Thursday at New York, 5 p.m., ESPN
Saturday at Florida, 5 p.m., ABC
*Monday at New York, 5 p.m., ESPN
Stanley Cup Final
Game 1: Saturday, June 8, TBD, ESPN
Game 2: Monday, June 10, TBD, ESPN
Game 3: Thursday, June 13, TBD, ESPN,
Game 4: Saturday, June 15, TBD, ESPN
*Game 5: Tuesday, June 18, TBD, ESPN
*Game 6: Friday, June 21, TBD, ESPN
*Game 7: Monday, June 24, TBD, ESPN
*-if necessary
THIS DATE IN SPORTS
1903 — Flocarline becomes the first filly to win the Preakness Stakes.
1911 — Ray Harroun wins the first Indianapolis 500 in 6 hours, 42 minutes and 8 seconds with an average speed of 74.59 mph.
1951 — Lee Wallard wins the Indianapolis 500, becoming the first driver to break the 4-hour mark with a time of 3:57:38.05.
1951 — Ezzard Charles beats Joey Maxim in 15 for heavyweight boxing title.
1952 — At 22, Troy Ruttman becomes the youngest driver to win the Indianapolis 500.
1955 — Bob Sweikert, an Indianapolis native, wins the Indianapolis 500. Bill Vukovich, seeking his third consecutive victory, is killed in a four-car crash on the 56th lap.
1985 — The Edmonton Oilers win the Stanley Cup for the second straight year with an 8-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 5.
1987 — Mike Tyson beats Pinklon Thomas by TKO in round 6 in Las Vegas to retain WBC/WBA heavyweight boxing titles.
1993 — Emerson Fittipaldi wins his second Indianapolis 500, by 2.8 seconds. Fittipaldi takes the lead on lap 185 and holds on, outfoxing Formula One champion Nigel Mansell and runner-up Arie Luyendyk.
2009 — Travis Tucker hits an RBI single with one out in the top of the 25th inning to give Texas a 3-2 victory over Boston College in the longest baseball game in NCAA history.
2010 — Dario Franchitti gets a huge break from a spectacular crash on the last lap to climb back on top of the open-wheel world to win the Indianapolis 500.
2012 — Roger Federer breaks Jimmy Connors’ Open era record of 233 Grand Slam match wins by beating Adrian Ungur of Romania 6-3, 6-2, 6-7 (6), 6-3 in the second round of the French Open. Federer, who owns a record 16 major championships, is 234-35 at tennis’ top four tournaments. Connors was 233-49. The Open era began in 1968.
Compiled by the Associated Press
Until next time...
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Go beyond the scoreboard
Get the latest on L.A.'s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.