The Sports Report: Dodgers officially welcome Roki Sasaki

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

From Jack Harris: Dodger Stadium remains under construction, in the midst of significant offseason renovations for the defending World Series champions.

But hundreds of reporters flocked to Chavez Ravine on Wednesday, nonetheless, to witness the team introduce one of the final key pieces of its 2025 roster.

Less than a week after announcing he would sign with the Dodgers in one of this offseason’s major free agency coups, 23-year-old Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki was introduced by the team at a celebratory news conference — the latest star-player reception for a team that has been stockpiling them over the last several winters.

“Putting on this Dodgers uniform today, I’m reminded that my journey is just about to begin,” the pitcher said through interpreter Will Ireton after slipping into a white No. 11 jersey. “And it makes me feel more focused than ever.”

Sasaki’s arrival was a unique affair, with the hard-throwing right-hander being hailed as a key — and economical — part of the team’s future after inking a minor league contract with a $6.5-million signing bonus that was finalized Wednesday.

Sasaki was restricted to such a modest deal, as he signed as an international amateur because he came over from Japan before turning 25. But it belied the tantalizing potential he is bringing to the Southland, where Dodgers officials hope he can quickly develop into a bona fide big league ace.

Continue reading here

‘They all wanted him here.’ How Shohei Ohtani, other Dodgers helped recruit Roki Sasaki

Roki Sasaki is down with L.A. New Dodgers pitcher learns city’s fingers sign at Lakers game

Shaikin: This state senator tried to curb the Dodgers’ deferral ‘loophole.’ So far, no luck.

CLIPPERS

Jaylen Brown scored 25 points, Jayson Tatum added 24 and the Boston Celtics rallied past the Clippers 117-113 in overtime on Wednesday night when both teams were missing key players.

Derrick White added 20 points and Sam Hauser had 15, tying his season high with five three-pointers. The defending NBA champions played without Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis.

Derrick Jones Jr. scored a career-high 29 points, 17 in the first quarter, to lead the Clippers. Kevin Porter Jr. added a season-high 26 and Amir Coffey had 24. Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Norman Powell and Ivica Zubac of the Clippers were all sidelined.

Continue reading here

Clippers box score

NBA scores

NBA standings

NFL PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE

Conference championships
All times Pacific
Sunday
NFC
No. 6 Washington at No. 2 Philadelphia, noon, Fox

AFC
No. 2 Buffalo at No. 1 Kansas City, 3:30 p.m., CBS/Paramount+

Super Bowl 59: Feb. 9 at New Orleans, 3:30 p.m., Fox

USC BASKETBALL

Desmond Claude scored 21 points, Rashaun Agee had all 14 of his in the second half and USC rallied last in a 78-73 victory over Nebraska on Wednesday night, extending the Cornhuskers’ losing streak to five.

Brice Williams followed his layup with a three-pointer to pull Nebraska even at 69 with 1:19 left. Claude answered with a three-pointer and USC stayed in front by going six for six at the free-throw line in the final 17 seconds. Claude hit the first two and the final four came from Wesley Yates III, who made all nine of his foul shots and scored 17 with four steals.

Claude made eight of 18 shots and added six assists for the Trojans (12-7, 4-4), who have three Big Ten road wins in their first season in the conference. Agee came off the bench to sink four of six from three-point range and grab eight rebounds. Saint Thomas scored 11.

Continue reading here

USC box score

Big Ten standings

AP top 25 rankings

————

Freshman Avery Howell scored a season-high 18 points, JuJu Watkins added 16 points and seven rebounds and No. 4 USC nearly pitched a second-quarter shutout as it routed Purdue 79-37 on Wednesday.

The Trojans (18-1, 8-0 Big Ten) gave up just two points in the second quarter en route to their 14th consecutive win. Four conference victories have come by 20 or more points.

Kendall Puryear led Purdue (7-12, 0-8) with 10 points as the Boilermakers lost their seventh straight. Purdue has losses to each of the top four teams in The Associated Press Top 25.

Continue reading here

USC box score

Big Ten standings

AP top 25 rankings

KINGS

Samuel Helenius and Adrian Kempe scored in the third period, and the Kings rallied to beat the Florida Panthers 2-1 on Wednesday night.

It was Kempe’s 30th career game-winning goal as he passed Rob Blake for sole possession of eighth most in team history.

Darcy Kuemper stopped 26 shots for the Kings, who were held to two goals or fewer for the seventh time in eight games and snapped a two-game skid.

Continue reading here

Kings summary

NHL scores

NHL standings

THIS DATE IN SPORTS

1944 — The Detroit Red Wings defeat the New York Rangers 15-0 to set an NHL record for consecutive goals.

1959 — In the NBA All-Star game in Detroit, St. Louis’ Bob Pettit and Elgin Baylor of Minneapolis become the first co-winners of the MVP award, leading the West to a 124-108 victory.

1979 — Willie Mays is named on 409 of 432 ballots and elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

1980 — George Gervin of San Antonio scores 55 points in a 144-130 victory over the Indiana Pacers.

1987 — Hana Mandlikova upsets Martina Navratilova 7-5, 7-6 to win the Australian Open.

1988 — Steffi Graf wins the Australian Open with a 6-1, 7-6 victory over Chris Evert.

1993 — Mike Gartner of the New York Rangers sets an NHL record when he reaches 30 goals for the 14th consecutive season. Gartner surpasses Phil Esposito, Bobby Hull and Wayne Gretzky.

2001 — Sam Cassell scores 22 points and the Bucks hit a franchise record 14 3-pointers to beat the Knicks 105-91 and snap New York’s NBA-record 33-game streak of holding opponents to under 100 points.

2005 — Jennifer Rodriguez becomes the first American woman in nine years to win the World Sprint Speedskating Championship.

2008 — Baylor, which waited 39 years to get back into the Top 25, plays five overtimes in its first win as a ranked team. Curtis Jerrells scores a career-high 36 points, including 11 in the fifth overtime to lead No. 25 Baylor to a 116-110 win over No. 18 Texas A&M.

2010 — Lindsey Vonn makes it five wins in five downhills this season. Her 30th World Cup victory ties her with Croatia’s Janica Kostelic for eighth place on the career list and nearly halfway to Austrian leader Annemarie Moser-Proell’s 62 wins.

2011 — Francesca Schiavone wins the longest women’s match in Grand Slam history — a 6-4, 1-6, 16-14 victory over Svetlana Kuznetsova that takes 4 hours, 44 minutes at the Australian Open. Schiavone saves six match points, then converts on her third match point in the longest women’s match at a major in terms of time in the Open era.

2011 — Aaron Rodgers runs for a touchdown and makes a saving tackle, B.J. Raji returns an interception for a score and Sam Shields has two interceptions to lead the Green Bay Packers to a 21-14 win over the Chicago Bears in the NFC championship game. The Packers, with road wins in Philadelphia, Atlanta and Chicago, become the first NFC No. 6 seed to advance to the Super Bowl.

2011 — The Pittsburgh Steelers advance to their third Super Bowl in six years with a 24-19 victory over the New York Jets.

2012 — Skylar Diggins matches a season high with 27 points and No. 2 Notre Dame routs No. 7 Tennessee 72-44, holding the Lady Vols to their lowest scoring output in modern school history.

2015 — Klay Thompson sets an NBA record for the most points in a quarter, a 37-point third period that powers the Golden State Warriors to a 126-101 victory over the Sacramento Kings. Thompson makes all 13 shots and finishes with a career-high 52 points.

2022 — Buffalo wide receiver Gabriel Davis scores an NFL playoff record 4 TDs in the Bills’ epic 42-36 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in their divisional-round playoff at Arrowhead Stadium.

Compiled by the Associated Press