Sports
Letters to Sports: Dodgers off to a roller-coaster start
In response to the reader last week who was wondering why so many All-Area basketball players are leaving L.A. for other colleges: Mick Cronin.
Paul Kawaguchi
Rosemead
Never needing a filter, UCLA coach Mick Cronin let it fly! In response to the question, what was needed for UCLA to advance further in the NCAA tournament past its early second-round exit, Cronin barked, “About 5 more million!”
Obviously, his inability to retain 7-foot-3 center Aday Mara was frustrating and ultimately devastating. His height, passing and shot-blocking expertise was sorely missed. Add the loss of the Bruins’ leading scorer and rebounder, Tyler Bilodeau, to injury and Cronin was fit to be tied by both lack of funds and the injury bug.
Hopefully, both of those issues will be resolved by next season and UCLA will find itself back in another Final Four as the elite program their history has shown.
Rick Solomon
Lake Balboa
The Los Angeles Times welcomes expressions of all views. Letters should be brief and become the property of The Times. They may be edited and republished in any format. Each must include a valid mailing address and telephone number. Pseudonyms will not be used.
Email: sports@latimes.com
Sports
Thunder erase 15-point deficit to take series lead over Spurs as Victor Wembanyama’s 26 points fall short
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Through the first two games of the Western Conference Finals, Spurs star Victor Wembanyama has produced numbers not seen at this stage of the postseason in roughly 50 years.
As the series shifted to San Antonio for Game 3 on Friday, the French basketball phenom once again led the Spurs in scoring. But his 26-point performance was not enough to give San Antonio a 2-1 series lead over the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
Reigning back-to-back NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander matched Wembanyama with 26 points, leading Oklahoma City to a 123-108 victory.
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama shoots the ball against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second half of game three of the Western Conference finals at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, on May 22, 2026. (Daniel Dunn/Imagn Images)
Shortly after Game 2 on Wednesday, Spurs guard Stephon Castle acknowledged that his team is “probably most comfortable playing in front of our fans.” San Antonio quickly backed up that sentiment in Game 3, jumping out to a 15-0 lead in its first home game of the series.
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Just five minutes into the contest, the Spurs held a commanding 19-4 advantage as the home crowd created a raucous atmosphere.
Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs reacts during the fourth quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Three of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, on May 22, 2026. (Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
But Oklahoma City’s bench played a pivotal role in the comeback that ultimately gave the Thunder a critical series lead. Alex Caruso, Jaylin Williams, Jared McCain and Cason Wallace were widely credited with helping swing the game.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives to the basket past Julian Champagnie of the San Antonio Spurs during the second quarter in Game Three of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, on May 22, 2026. (Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
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The Spurs took Game 1 behind 41 points and 24 rebounds from Wembanyama, and the defending champion Thunder got 30 points from Gilgeous-Alexander on the way to getting a victory in Game 2.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
CITY SECTION BASEBALL FINALS
FRIDAY’S RESULTS
At Stengel Field
DIVISION II
#5 LA Roosevelt 5, #6 South East 3
At Fremont
DIVISION III
#7 Fremont 2, LA Hamilton 0
SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE
At Dodger Stadium
FINALS
OPEN DIVISION
#2 El Camino Real (21-9) vs. #1 Birmingham (26-4), 1 p.m.
DIVISION I
#10 Taft (13-17) vs. #13 Verdugo Hills (13-18), 10 a.m.
Sports
Giants’ key defensive tackle tears Achilles tendon during practice, out for the season: reports
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The New York Giants lost a key piece of their defensive line for the season on Thursday.
Defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris tore his Achilles tendon during the Giants’ OTA practice, according to multiple reports.
Robertson-Harris, 32, was in line for a big role after the Giants traded star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals earlier in the offseason. He started all 17 games last year and played 56% of the snaps, which was second only to Lawrence among defensive tackles.
New York Giants defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris leaves the field after a loss to the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill., on Nov. 9, 2025. (David Banks/Imagn Images)
Robertson-Harris suffered the injury while rushing the passer in an 11-on-11 period. He went down and immediately grabbed at his leg, according to The Athletic.
The Giants signed Robertson-Harris to a two-year, $9 million contract before last season. He had 35 tackles and three tackles for loss in 17 games last season.
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New York Giants defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris warms up before the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nev., on Dec. 28, 2025. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
The Giants, whose defensive tackle group was already thin because of the Lawrence trade, will be forced to rely on a mix of veterans and young players. The team signed veterans DJ Reader and Shelby Harris in free agency.
Reader started all 17 games for the Detroit Lions last season and played the run well, recording 28 tackles. Harris played in 17 games, starting five, for the Cleveland Browns last season and recorded 32 tackles, seven tackles for loss and a sack.
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New York Giants defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris and defensive lineman Bobby Jamison-Travis participate in a drill during organized team activities at Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford, N.J., on May 21, 2026. (John Jones/Imagn Images)
Darius Alexander, the Giants’ third-round pick last season, will also be counted on to pick up some of the slack from Robertson-Harris’ and Lawrence’s absences. The 25-year-old played in 16 games, recording 20 tackles with four tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.
The Giants drafted Bobby Jamison-Travis in the sixth round out of Auburn in last month’s NFL Draft.
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