Even with James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves missing a combined 71 games this season, the Lakers clawed their way to the fourth seed in the Western Conference. As one of the preeminent NBA franchises, Los Angeles has long been renowned for glitz, not grit.

But given the track record of this iteration, it shouldn't have come as much of a surprise that the Lakers scrapped their way to a 2-0 first-round series lead over the Houston Rockets despite the absences of Doncic and Reaves due to injuries. With the series shifting to Houston for Game 3 on Friday, what has come into clearer focus is the Lakers' tenacity, and the fact that it should not be overlooked.

"The regular season is not a means of punishment; it's a means of building resiliency," Los Angeles coach JJ Redick said. "And I think our group in the aggregate has been an incredibly resilient group. That's why we have the confidence and belief and certainly the collective competitive spirit that is needed to be on this stage going against a great basketball team in Houston."

The "great" version of the Rockets that Redick lauded has yet to make an appearance. Seen as prohibitive pre-series favorites with Doncic and Reaves sidelined, the Rockets stumbled over themselves in the series opener with their leading scorer, Kevin Durant, out with a knee injury.

When Durant returned for Game 2, little changed. The Lakers again found offense from Luke Kennard and Marcus Smart, and they generated the defensive might to stymie the Rockets, who, despite being at full strength, were even less efficient from behind the 3-point arc.

Houston likes to hang its hat on its defense, but its woeful offense remains problematic.

"They're just daring guys to prove it, regardless of our spacing," Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. "Sometimes we've been in the proper places, sometimes guys are cutting on top of each other.

"I wouldn't say it's a spacing issue. We've had really good spacing and gotten the ball to the places (we want) and not made the shot or taken the right one. I think they're going to dare it regardless of who's on the court until we prove otherwise."

Durant committed nine turnovers in Game 2 and scored only three points of his 23 points in the second half. Alperen Sengun, the Rockets' second-leading scorer during the regular season (20.4 ppg), is shooting just 38.5% from the field in this series. If the Rockets don't unlock that tandem, this series will end in short order.

"We need to get the advantage when they're doubling (Durant)," Sengun said. "We're going to figure it out."

Now that they are on the doorstep of taking a stranglehold on this series, the Lakers know that they can rely on the others to support James. The experienced players have revealed themselves at critical junctures already this series, and the expectation is that their guidance will continue to lead the way despite the roster attrition and the long odds stacked against them.

"It was brought up, our group trying to lean on LeBron's otherworldly experience in this league, and, obviously, we've had to do that," Redick said. "And he's captained our team and led our team.

"But we have four guys that have played in the Finals. All the experience that Smart has had, all the experience that DA (Deandre Ayton) has had, Maxi (Kleber) on the bench -- they've shared that. Being in big moments for those guys is not a new thing."

Kennard, a Feb. 5 trade acquisition from Atlanta, leads Los Angeles with a 25.0 scoring average in the first two games, with James at 23.5 and Smart at 20.0.

The move is retroactive to Monday. In other moves, the Rangers selected right-hander Peyton Gray's contract from Triple-A Round Rock and designated catcher Willie MacIver for assignment.

Garcia, 29, has not played since April 16, when he retired the only batter he faced in a 9-6 road win against the Athletics. He is 0-1 with a 3.38 ERA, seven walks and six strikeouts in eight innings over nine games in his second season with Texas.

Opposing left-handed batters are 0-for-13 with four strikeouts against Garcia this season.

For his career, Garcia is 9-17 with nine saves, a 3.57 ERA, 57 walks and 182 strikeouts in 163 2/3 innings over 177 games, all in relief, for the Miami Marlins (2023), Washington Nationals (2023-24) and Rangers (2025-26).

Gray, 30, is 1-0 at Round Rock with two saves, a 0.00 ERA, two walks and 15 strikeouts in 12 2/3 innings over seven relief appearances. Opponents are batting .186 (8-for-43) against him.

If he makes his major league debut, Gray will be the oldest player to do so with Texas since left-hander Hyeon-jong Yang at age 33 on April 26, 2021, per the Rangers.

MacIver, 29, batted .186 (19-for-102) in 32 games last season with the Athletics. The Rangers selected him off waivers from the Athletics on Nov. 5, 2025. He was batting .170 (8-for-47) in 14 games with Round Rock this season.

The move was made to create room on the club's major league roster. The team has seven days to trade, release or outright MacIver to the minor leagues.

Philadelphia lost its ninth straight game and now owns the worst record (8-17) in the National League.

Javier Assad (2-1) threw a perfect top of the 10th, before Tanner Banks (0-2) pitched the bottom of the frame for the Phillies. Banks intentionally walked Seiya Suzuki and allowed Carson Kelly's single to load the bases.

After Michael Busch struck out, Swanson's single to right ended it.

Busch homered and drove in four, while Suzuki went deep and Kelly produced three hits in the win.

With the score tied at six apiece in the bottom of the eighth, Suzuki launched his third homer in as many games, turning on a fastball from Philadelphia reliever Brad Keller.

The Phillies answered in the top of the ninth, as pinch-hitter Adolis Garcia hit his third homer of the season, knotting the score at 7-7 against Chicago's Caleb Thielbar.

Edward Cabrera allowed five runs (three earned) on six hits, striking out five and walking none for Chicago, which stamped a four-game sweep of Philadelphia and extended its longest winning streak since an 11-gamer in 2016.

Cristopher Sanchez started for the Phillies, allowing six runs on 12 hits across 5 1/3 innings, striking out four and walking two. Brandon Marsh went 3-for-4 with two homers in the loss.

The Phillies grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second inning on Marsh's third home run of the season.

Kelly and Busch reached to begin the bottom of the second for Chicago, before Swanson's sac fly knotted the score.

In the third, Suzuki and Kelly singled, leading to Busch's three-run homer, giving the Cubs a 4-1 edge.

Bryce Harper's one-out single in the fourth was followed with Marsh's RBI base hit, pulling the Phillies within two.

Chicago got the run back in the home half of the fourth, as Ian Happ hit his seventh of the year to push the lead to 5-2.

After allowing Happ's one-out single in the sixth, Sanchez was replaced by Chase Shugart. Suzuki singled and Kelly was hit by a pitch, before Busch's RBI groundout made it 6-2.

Marsh continued his stellar day with a one-out homer in the seventh to slice the deficit to three. Bryson Stott singled and Alec Bohm doubled, before Alex Bregman's throwing error allowed Stott to score from third. The visitors continued to inch closer, as Garrett Stubbs' sac fly pulled the Phillies within a run.

In relief of Cabrera, Hoby Milner walked a pair in 2/3 of an inning in the eighth. Jacob Webb entered with runners on first and second, allowing Edmundo Sosa's game-tying single.

An additional 73 vacant roles would not be filled, but the tour plans to reinvest in 30 or more new full-time positions, the report said.

The moves come as the PGA Tour continues to adjust to a for-profit business model, after private equity partner Strategic Sports Group (SSG) invested $1.5 billion into the top golf circuit in 2024.

According to Sports Business Journal, new CEO Brian Rolapp described the job cuts as a "difficult -- but important -- step" in an email to employees. Rolapp joined the PGA Tour last June, in effect taking over from commissioner Jay Monahan, who is staying on as a member of the PGA Tour Policy Board and PGA Tour Enterprises Board through 2026.

The tour is "right-sizing" not only its staff but its tournament schedule. In an effort to ensure the best players are participating in the same events more consistently, Rolapp has proposed a new structure with a top tier of 21-26 tournaments (which would include the four majors, The Players Championship and the FedEx Cup playoffs) and a second track for players to earn opportunities for promotion.

Earlier this week, the PGA Tour confirmed it would not return to Hawaii in 2027. The tour traditionally opened its season with a two-week Hawaiian swing, with events on Maui and in Honolulu.

Babcock has been the AD for 12 years, beginning in January 2014. He is the second-longest tenured athletic director in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

"I've always believed in giving everything you have to this role, and I'm proud of the commitment we've made to Virginia Tech over the years," Babcock said in a news release. "While I had been considering this type of transition, likely next year, the demands of the role and the rapidly changing landscape of college athletics have required a lot of thoughtful reflection regarding my work-life balance, my desire to focus on family, my health and the next chapter for me.

"I know that now is the right time to retire as AD and allow new leadership and new energy to carry the momentum forward. When you can't continue to give it 100% every day, it was just time."

One of Babcock's final hires was landing former Penn State coach James Franklin as the Hokies' new football coach.

Virginia Tech put together 25 consecutive winning seasons from 1993-2017 -- the first 23 under Frank Beamer -- but now is in a rut of six losing seasons in eight campaigns.

"It weighs heavily on me that we have not yet reached the level of football success our fans so deeply deserve," Babcock said. "This program means too much to too many for anything less. I am confident that with Coach Franklin, along with the Invest To Win support, the foundation is in place for our program to elevate and remain at a nationally-elite level."

Babcock was one of four FBS Under Armour Athletic Directors of the Year for the 2017-18 athletic season.

Right-hander Ryan Feltner departed after two innings with right triceps tightness. Feltner, 29, worked a 1-2-3 first inning before allowing two runs on two hits and a walk in the second. He is 1-1 in five starts with a 6.30 ERA and was replaced by right-hander Zach Agnos.

Willi Castro went 0-for-1 with a walk in the second inning before being replaced by Tyler Freeman before the top of the fourth inning. Castro, who turns 29 on Friday, was diagnosed with right knee soreness. He is batting .246 with a homer and nine RBI this season.

At the time of both players' departures, Colorado owned a 5-2 lead in the rubber game of the three-game series.

Williams underwent an MRI on Thursday, one day after he left Oklahoma City's 120-107 victory over the Phoenix Suns in the third quarter due to the injury. The Thunder hold a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven first-round series, with games scheduled for Saturday and Monday in Phoenix. Game 5, if necessary, is Wednesday in Oklahoma City.

Williams is no stranger to hamstring injuries. He was hurt against the Miami Heat on Jan. 17 and missed the following 10 games. However, during his second game back against the Suns, he re-injured the hamstring.

Williams, 25, also started the season late due to two separate surgeries on his right wrist. He played through the injury during the playoffs last season, averaging 21.4 points while helping the Thunder win the NBA title.

This season, Williams is averaging 17.1 points, 5.5 assists and 4.6 rebounds in 33 games (all starts). He was an All-Star last season when he averaged a career-best 21.6 points per game.

Overall, Williams is averaging 18.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 248 games (235 starts) in four NBA seasons.

Jenkins, 41, was an assistant in Milwaukee in the 2018-19 season under head coach Mike Budenholzer. Jenkins was hired by Memphis in 2019 and became the franchise's all-time winningest coach (250-214, .539) in six seasons. The team went 9-14 in three playoff appearances (2021-23).

The Grizzlies fired Jenkins on March 28, 2025, despite the team's 44-29 record.

ESPN reported that Milwaukee officials, including ownership, met with Jenkins last week in Memphis and on Tuesday in Milwaukee to lock in his commitment.

Bucks head coach Doc Rivers stepped down after a 32-50 season, the team's worst since 2013-14 and the first time it missed the playoffs since 2015-16.

Milwaukee compiled a record of 97-103 since Rivers replaced Adrian Griffin in January 2024. The Bucks lost in the first round of the playoffs in each of the previous two campaigns under Rivers.

Jenkins was an assistant coach with the Atlanta Hawks (2013-18) before joining the Bucks' staff.

After the Boston Celtics dropped Game 2 against the Philadelphia 76ers, those four succinct words from Jaylen Brown summarized the situation at hand for the division rivals.

The Celtics look to recover from a surprising defeat to the Sixers when the teams reconvene Friday in Philadelphia for Game 3 of their first-round playoff series.

"It's the playoffs. Welcome to the playoffs," Brown said following a 111-97 home setback in Game 2. "They out-competed us. I've played in series that have gone similar. You can't take anything for granted. You just got to be ready to go. I trust our group."

Boston, the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, captured Game 1 by a 123-91 margin. Many expected the Celtics to cruise again in Game 2, but the seventh-seeded 76ers rode their talented backcourt to a convincing triumph.

Rookie guard VJ Edgecombe led the way with 30 points and 10 rebounds. The 20-year-old became the youngest player in NBA history to post 30 and 10 in a postseason contest.

"He's a tough kid," 76ers center Andre Drummond said. "His confidence is something I haven't seen in a very long time. He plays with a swag that a lot of guys don't play with when they're coming up. I'm happy that he's here. He's playing at a very high level and we need more from him next game, too. So he has to stay prepared."

Tyrese Maxey was another key to the Sixers' success in Game 2. The All-Star guard registered 29 points and nine assists and drained three clutch 3-pointers down the stretch.

"He just wanted them," coach Nick Nurse said of Maxey's late-game heroics. "I think you probably all could see that. He looked at me for a play call, and I looked at him and called, and he's like, ‘I got it.'"

The Sixers continued to play without Joel Embiid (appendicitis) and were outrebounded 50-42 by the Celtics. Edgecombe (10) and Drummond (eight) were the only Philadelphia players with more than five rebounds on the night, and nobody had more than one block.

Adem Bona got the start at center and went scoreless with three rebounds in a 22-minute run.

"We're obviously really hopeful (that Embiid can return soon), and I think he's really hopeful," Nurse said. "He wants to play, and we want him to play. I don't know how close we are to that at this point, but I think there's some progress being made."

Brown led Boston with 36 points in Game 2, while Jayson Tatum chipped in with 19 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists. Derrick White had eight points but shot just 3 of 12 from the field, while two of the team's sharpshooters - Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser - combined to shoot 4 of 16 from the floor and 2 of 12 from beyond the arc.

"I thought Sam and Payton both got good looks," Brown said. "Both got some open shots. That's what we want. Continue to trust that process."

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla didn't seem too concerned about his team's offensive process, even after the Celtics shot 39.3% from the field and 26% from 3-point land.

"You focus on the stuff that you can be better at, that's within your control," Mazzulla said. "I know it's tough, but you can't necessarily control when you shoot it, if it goes in or not."

Torkelson, who hit his first homer of the season on Wednesday, ripped a 3-1 sinker from Abner Uribe (1-1) over the left field wall as the Tigers took two of three games in the series.

Riley Greene had a two-run homer and pinch-hitter Jahmai Jones supplied a tying solo homer in the eighth.

Detroit starter Tarik Skubal was charged with four runs and seven hits in six-plus innings while striking out five. Brant Hurter (2-0) got a key double play in the ninth and wound up with the win.

Blake Perkins drove in two runs for the Brewers. Gary Sanchez had two hits, a run and an RBI while David Hamilton added two hits and an RBI.

Starter Brandon Sproat gave up three runs and four hits in 5 1/3 innings.

The Tigers took a 2-0 lead in the first. Kevin McGonigle led off with a double and advanced on a groundout. Greene then ripped a curveball 406 feet to the opposite field for his second homer of the season.

Milwaukee's first 11 batters were retired by Skubal. The Brewers then scored a run as William Contreras and Sanchez hit consecutive doubles.

Skubal got out of a sixth-inning jam with a double play and the Tigers made it 3-1 in the bottom of the inning. Colt Keith drew a one-out walk and moved to third on Greene's single. Dillon Dingler then bounced into a fielder's choice as Keith scored.

Sanchez's bloop single started Milwaukee's rally in the seventh. Luis Matos' single put two runners on for Perkins, who smacked a double down the left field line to bring in both runners. Skubal was then removed in favor of Tyler Holton. He retired the first batter he faced but the next two singled, with Hamilton driving in Perkins.

Jones tied it at with one out in the eighth when he clubbed an Angel Zerpa pitch over the left field wall.