Let state mortgage program expire

• April 12, 2023

With a recession approaching, now is a good time to reassess expensive government programs, cutting where possible. A good place to begin is letting expire the California Dream for All Shared Appreciation Loan program.

According to its website, it is a down payment assistance program of up to 20% of a home’s purchasing price “for first-time homebuyers to be used in conjunction with the Dream For All Conventional first mortgage for down payment and/or closing costs. Upon sale or transfer of the home, the homebuyer repays the original down payment loan, plus a share of the appreciation in the value of the home.”

The $300 million allotted for the program was supposed to last “months, according to loan officers who attended agency presentations,” reported the Washington Post. “Instead, it became evident within days that the money would run out almost immediately.”

An April 6 Program Bulletin to CalHFA Approved Lenders announced the program would be paused beginning April 10.

“It’s not surprising people took advantage of it while it’s available,” Geoffrey Lawrence, director of research at the Los Angeles-based Reason Foundation, told us. But there’s a problem. “It has little effect on housing affordability because you’re effectively subsiding high housing prices. For a program like this that makes tens of thousands of dollars available to homebuyers, it would goose the price of homes by about the same amount. It’s similar to college loans, which is one of the reasons tuition keeps going up.”

It’s simple economics: When demand increases, prices go up. That means those who know about the mortgage program and fill out the paperwork in time got an advantage over everybody else, especially the taxpayers footing the bill.

Any funding from not continuing this program should be saved to deal with a budget deficit for fiscal 2023-24 that could exceed $30 billion.

As to making housing more affordable, instead of goosing demand, as this program has done, we encourage the state to continue working to increase supply.

Two good ways are: Reform the California Environmental Quality Act. And enforce Senate Bills 9 and 10 from 2021, which promote more construction.

​ Orange County Register 

Frumpy Mom: The ABC’s of traveling well with kids

• April 12, 2023

I recently stumbled across a notebook I kept of our trip to the Italian Riviera many moons ago when the kids were still young enough to enjoy my company and did not yet flinch when I tried to touch them.

Some of these tips that I wrote to myself will be useful in my future ventures with my newborn grandson, Floyd. And some might help you, too.

Here are my ABCs of traveling with children:

A. Apartment. Rent one. There’s more room for the kids to run around and you can cook. This means you don’t have to hear “I’m not hungry” three times a day when the kids don’t like a meal you just purchased in an expensive restaurant.

B. Backpacks. Give each of the kids one to bring onto the plane, with favorite snacks, a sweater and something to do.

C. Companions. You need these for help when you’re traveling with kids, or else you’ll just be exhausted every second. For older kids, bringing a companion for them means they won’t make your life a living hell.

D. Distractions. My kids were endlessly distracted by anything involving dogs or dinosaurs. One or the other would keep them entertained for hours.

E. Electronic devices. Even if you don’t approve, bring them along because they will prevent migraines. If you have a kid, you already know this.

F. First Aid Kit. Yes, you need this. When my daughter Curly Girl was small, we camped on a remote beach in Baja. Running around on the rocks, she tore her knee open. I nearly fainted at the blood gushing from her wound, but I pretended that it was no big deal, cleaned it up with wipes from the first aid kit and then used a butterfly bandage to close it up. We were too far from a doctor for stitches. Luckily, it worked and the gash healed fine. This is why you bring a First Aid kit.

G. Grocery stores. These are your friend. Find snacks for your room, even if you’re not cooking. And if you are cooking, go crazy. We lived on pasta in Italy, because it was cheap and I could easily buy it from the store. Eating out was, ouch, expensive.

H. Hat. Bring them. With a string so they don’t blow away.

I. Insect repellent. Wipes work better than sprays because the rugrats will resist less and they won’t spill inside your suitcase.

J. Jump rope. I find these are useful for both entertaining the kids and getting them good and tired. And they take up little space in your suitcase. You can also use it as an impromptu clothesline.

K. Kids ticket. If your kids are 12 and under, you should always assume they’ll pay half price. So ask. On some airlines, kids under 12 pay half for their airfares. Shop around for these. I had a lot of frequent flier miles at one time on Delta, so I decided to use those to take my kids to Egypt, back way back when. I looked on the Delta Airlines website and just saw regular fares for the kids. But when I looked at Orbitz for the same fares, it showed the kids for half price. So, ask!

L. Laundry. You can get your laundry done anywhere. Seriously. I had laundry done by Masai tribal people on the banks of Kenya’s Sand River. So don’t bring too much stuff. You can get it washed.

M. Milk. In other countries, you often find milk in shelf-stable boxes that don’t need to be refrigerated. Your kids may or may not drink this. It will probably be okay in cereal, which I’m sure you also bought at the grocery store.

N. Nightlight. Buy one of these at the dollar store. It’s so useful to light up the bathroom at night. I still bring this along for myself.

O. Old Maid. Speaking as a woman who’s never been married, I object to its name, but this is a great card game to shove in your pocket and play with the kids whenever.

P. Potato chips. Or Pretzels. Pack them in suitcases so the kids have instant access whenever they want.

Q. Quilt. Bring a small quilt or throw along for cold waiting rooms, planes and so forth. It can also serve as a pillow.

R. Red-eye flights. I know most people dislike these, but I found the darkness and quiet helped my kids to sleep on long flights, and helped me keep my sanity.

S. Snacks. Bring them. Lots of them. In their own suitcases and little backpacks for the plane.

T. TV. Yes, you want this. My kids watched “The Wizard of Oz” on Italian TV and it actually gave me a few minutes to nap. You can also download movies onto your tablet to ruin their brains, er, give yourself a small break.

U. Underwear. Don’t forget to pack these. Don’t ask me how I know this.

V. Very light suitcases. Make sure they can wheel them on their own.

W. Water bottles. Yes. Bring them. Stainless steel and they can often be refilled at the airport.

X. Xanax. Yeah, you might need one of these,

Y. Yard. Whenever possible, try to get a place with a yard so the rugrats can burn off steam.

Z. Zoo. This is usually a good location to run the kids ragged, although you’ll also be dragging by the end. I don’t like small zoos, they depress me, but animal rescue places are great.

Related links

Frumpy Mom: It happened. There’s a baby.
Marla Jo Fisher: I’m taking my kids on vacation – against their will
Marla Jo Fisher: I just sent my son away
Thai times: Family adventure and fabulous food in Thailand
Marla Jo Fisher: Traveling with teens is different

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​ Orange County Register 

How Janelle McDonald returned UCLA to gymnastics prominence

• April 12, 2023

UCLA gymnasts will wince if you ask them about the intrasquad meet that occurred in the first practice after the Pac-12 championships.

Coach Janelle McDonald decided to hold an intrasquad to replicate the feeling of competing two days in a row. So after a Pac-12 championship in which UCLA worked their way from fourth to second place in the final standings, and after traveling back from Utah, the Bruins went all out.

“It’s a good idea. But did I want to do that? No,” Bruins senior Margzetta Frazier said. “We were so tired, but we sat in the huddle like, ‘Let’s lean on each other. It’s not going to be the last time we compete like this. Let’s get it done.’ It was so freaking hard.”

In spite of their fatigue, every gymnast hit their routine. McDonald’s decision paid off even further on the second day of the NCAA regionals, when the Bruins battled meet-day nerves as well as personal struggles. They reminded each other of the successful intrasquad, then proceeded to finish second and qualify for the NCAA championships.

McDonald’s bubbly personality has rebuilt morale in UCLA’s bounceback season, but beyond the smiling face are coaching decisions made with intention. And those have the Bruins ready to contend for a national title.

The Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA) named McDonald as Head Coach of the Year and UCLA’s BJ Das, Kyle Grable and Autumn Grable were named Assistant Coaches of the Year in early April, but McDonald’s accolade has been years in the making.

Finding her niche

Although McDonald a first-year head coach at UCLA, she’s been coaching since she was a teenager. While in high school, she led recreational classes at Gymnastics Unlimited in Washington so she could train for free at the facility.

“I loved being able to even help the little kids learn their first part cartwheel. There was just so much joy in it,” McDonald said. “I wasn’t really planning on continuing coaching, but as I coached through college I was like, ‘I don’t want to do anything else.’”

As she continued her career, she coached higher and higher levels of gymnastics and ended up as an assistant coach at California. The coaches in Berkeley were attracted to her joyful demeanor as much as they were to her ability to hone in on specifics, particularly on uneven bars.

“Part of the things that we love in Cal gymnastics is taking a lot of pride in details and lines,” Cal co-head coach Elisabeth Crandall-Howell said. “It’s holistically looking at a video of a kick and thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s really pretty.’ It’s that and having people in the program like Janelle who would embrace the details of things.”

McDonald’s attention to detail still shows in daily practices. She allows the Bruins to “play gymnastics,” letting them experiment with different skills, but also makes sure all drills are completed with quality, right down to the final handstand hold.

In film sessions, she reviews slowed-down routines recorded on iPads during meets in both one-on-one and team settings. She points out a detail in a gymnast’s routine, then asks what their mindset was in that moment. The thoughts of gymnasts who are in as well as out of the lineup are taken into account.

Some gymnasts, like sophomore Ana Padurariu, seek constructive criticism and like to have every detail spelled out for them.

“I like to improve on everything that I can,” Padurariu said. “So anything that she’ll see, like, ‘Your legs are apart here, on your handstand you need to open your hips, on dismount you need to point your toes.’ She’s always very transparent.”

Getting the results

The extra effort spent on details is showing in the results, especially on bars. Last season’s best score as a team in the event was a 49.475. The Bruins have surpassed that score seven times this season.

The team has been ranked within the top six in the nation all year and is No. 5 in the country on uneven bars and balance beam and No. 1 in floor exercise. UCLA has also surpassed a 198 total team score three times this season, a mark that was achieved only once last season – coincidentally against Cal, where McDonald was coaching at the time.

McDonald manages gymnasts with a wide range of skills as well as a wide range of personalities at UCLA. Some gymnasts, like Kalyany Steele, are soft-spoken. Others, like Jordan Chiles, burst into press conferences, talking quickly and preventing any instance of silence by making her thoughts known on any topic that comes to mind.

The key has been directing the energy of each gymnast into a common focus to get the whole team to function at full capacity.

“It’s easy to talk about scores and talk about that kind of stuff. But at the end of the day, we can’t control that,” McDonald said. “Somebody sitting in the chair does and so don’t focus on it. Pivot your mindset into what you can be intentional about.”

Setting the standard

McDonald put together a challenging preseason for the Bruins. The first meet was the Super 16, which brings together some of the best teams in college gymnastics in Las Vegas. UCLA was placed in a session with then-No. 1 Oklahoma as well as Michigan and Auburn, which were ranked No. 4 and No. 5, respectively, at the time.

UCLA placed fourth at the meet, but hit its highest season-opening score in 18 years.

“That was definitely something we were intentional about,” McDonald said of scheduling the meet. “It’s going to show our team where we’re at and where we want to go. That day, I saw them flip a switch to really believing how great they can be. And that was a moment that really has catapulted our season to being so great.”

The Bruins again find themselves among the best teams in the country this week in their first appearance as a team at the NCAA championships since 2019. They’ll start Thursday at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, in semifinal 2 against Oklahoma, Utah and Kentucky at 6 p.m. PT.

If they’re one of the top two finishers in the session, the Bruins will move on to the finals, slated for 1 p.m. Saturday.

“We’ve really just been champing at the bit,” said Frazier, who was part of a nationals-qualifying team as a freshman. “The more we said it, the more we believed it and embodied it and realized, ‘Why not us? We went into regionals like, ‘Why not us? We’re the top team in the nation.”

The seed of that mentality was planted by McDonald at the Super 16 meet, and grew with every film review, dual meet and grueling intrasquad. The coach has been smiling as bright as her blue-glittered nails all throughout – perhaps her most intentional coaching decision of all.

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“You have to be able to work and you have to be able to push yourself to places that are uncomfortable to improve,” Crandall-Howell said. “Even when things are hard, you’re able to reflect upon the joy that you have for what you’re doing and the people that you’re doing it with. Embracing the hard days can can be a choice that you make.”

NCAA WOMEN’S GYMNASTICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

When: Thursday

Semifinal 1 (noon): No. 3 Florida, No. 4 Cal, No. 6 LSU, and No. 8 Denver

Semifinal 2 (6 p.m.): No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 2 Utah, No. 5 UCLA, and No. 7 Kentucky

Where: Dickies Arena, Fort Worth, Texas

TV: ESPN2

​ Orange County Register 

First boats pull into new slips in Dana Point Harbor overhaul

• April 12, 2023

Despite a gloomy marine layer, the owners of the Dragonfly, a 26-foot sailboat, were all smiles and sunny dispositions as their boat passed its first inspection as part of the requirement of getting a slip at Dana Point Harbor’s newly installed boat docks.

The French-made, cherrywood boat is among 260 vessels that will move into the harbor’s first five completed docks in the next two weeks.

The docks – between Baby Beach and the Island Way Bridge  – are the first of 16 phases to the renovations that will create a new 2,254-slip marina. The $115 million project is expected to take five years.

It’s been 48 years since there was a new dock in the harbor.

“We’re really excited and thrilled to be moved into the new docks,” said Lori Shelton, who with her husband, Shane Dandy, brought the Dragonfly in for inspection on Tuesday, April 11. “I love the design, the architecture and the finely-chiseled docks.”

“Instead of square ends, they’re rounded, so we can move the boat in gently,” Dandy added.

The inspection – which included checking to make sure the boat was not leaking too much electricity into the water and an overview of its seaworthiness – didn’t take long and the Dragonfly passed with flying colors, making its owners proud. In a few days, it will get another review from the U.S. Coast Guard. This is the couple’s fifth boat and their 18th year in the Dana Point Harbor.

The new docks are the first project completed in a massive $500 million overhaul to the harbor by the developer group Dana Point Harbor Partners. In 2018, the group won a 66-year lease from the County of Orange and in return the partners are making the improvements in both the marina and on land.

Joe Ueberroth, of Bellwether Financial Group, is handling the marina project; Bryon Ward, president of Burnham Ward Properties, is heading up the development of the harbor’s commercial core; and Bob Olson, of R.D. Olson, will build two hotels once entitlements from the California Coastal Commission come through.

Under the public-private partnership, the developers are expected to design, fund and build the improvements, then operate those portions of the harbor through the life of the lease before returning the property to the county. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department’s Harbor Patrol building and docks are not part of the partners’ lease.

Work on the marina began in August with the demolition of the rusted and decaying C docks. The debris was hauled away and the new docks, which were built in Northern California, were trucked down and installed. New gates with security cameras have also been installed and there are new gangways and railings.

“This is a state-of-the-art marina,” Ueberroth said. “There is no steel in the system. When you walk the old docks, all the steel there is corroded. This is a new-generation type of dock. Dana Point is getting the best.”

The progress has come with some learning curves, Ueberroth said, adding that both phases one and two are rolling out at the same time. Next, the group will tackle the marina’s East Cove where docks A through F will be removed and replaced with an even larger dock system to accommodate 300 boats. Demolition there should begin in May.

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The larger harbor area and Dana Wharf will also be replaced, but that is likely two to three years out, Ueberroth said. There will also be a guest dock. The largest boat that will be accommodated in the harbor will likely top out at about 109 feet, Ueberroth said.

“I always want things to go faster,” Ueberroth said of the pacing. “But, we’re pleased with our product and excited for the tenants.”

As part of the construction, Bellwether hired a team to keep an eye on the wildlife in the harbor, especially its sea lion population. The Coastal Commission required potential disturbances from the noisy pile driving be watched. But, Uebberroth said few sea lions were sighted within the mandatory 300-foot zone near the construction, and there were no observed disturbances.

“We were very meticulous in watching their behavior,” he said. “It will be interesting when we get to East Cove where there are more sea lions.”

The new docks are generating enthusiasm among harbor visitors and the nearby businesses.

“It’s been pretty exciting, people are coming over to watch the boats going in,” said Kelly Reinderknecht, the marina’s general manager. “It’s been since 1978 (that) a boat came into a new dock.”

Boaters in the newly completed section have until April 25 to move into their new slips so demolition can start on the next phase.

Some boat owners who have rented in the harbor have balked at the rate increase for slips announced in 2021 ahead of the marina renovations and filed a lawsuit in court arguing the higher costs are not in compliance with the Tidelands Act because they would limit public access. Uebberroth called the argument baseless and said there is no violation, adding “The rate in Dana Point continues to be below market rate.”

The first boat owners to sail in were Sheila Bayati and her husband, Alex Sanchez, aboard their 28-foot power boat Xalt, which arrived early Friday, April 7.

“We weren’t planning on being the first,” Bayati said, but added, “Oh my God, it was amazing.”

“The setup is absolutely correct,” she said of her new slip. “The old dock was extremely worn and wobbly. Now our twin boys can walk around in their bare feet and we don’t have to worry about them getting cut up.”

On Tuesday, the Laguna Hills couple was out to take the boat on a spin through the harbor. The weather was a bit cool, so they opted not to go out to sea.

“We just love the water and being out on the boat,” Bayati said. “We’ll spend time at the dock, take it out, and anchor near a sand bar, we spend most of our holidays on the water.”

“We love Dana Point Harbor,” she added. “We used to live in San Juan Capistrano and were there every weekend even before we had a boat. We’re so excited about the changes.”

​ Orange County Register 

Repainting of patriotic mural on Corona-area dam begins

• April 12, 2023

Painting has begun to restore the iconic patriotic mural on the Prado Dam near Corona after years of advocacy and a legal battle for the beloved artwork created nearly four decades ago.

Workers, who will use the same design as the original mural, began the job Tuesday, April, 4. The project will be completed in late April.

More than $100,000 in donations came in to support recreation of the 1976 Bicentennial Freedom Mural, which is visible off the 91 Freeway.

After many years, the mural began to fade, and issues with graffiti and lead paint concerns arose. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which controls the dam, in 2015 announced plans to remove the fading painting, leading mural co-designer Ron Kammeyer and the Mural Conservancy of Los Angeles to sue in May 2015 to stop the plans. The lawsuit was dismissed in April 2022.

The mural was created by 30 Corona high school students in 1976 to mark the nation’s bicentennial. Students camped out over two weekends with donated paint from local hardware stores and finished the mural in May 1976. It depicted the Liberty Bell and the words and numbers: “200 Years of Freedom: 1776-1976,” in red, white and blue paint.

After losing the lawsuit, the removal of the lead-painted mural was inevitable, but talks of recreating the mural with non-lead paint began.

The Bicentennial Freedom Mural Conservancy, Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, Army Corps of Engineers and the Orange County-based painting company One Way Painting joined in a project to revitalize the mural. Fundraising began in September.

Related links

Prado Dam patriotic mural near Corona loses legal protection, but could be repainted
Restoration of Prado Dam patriotic mural near Corona set to start
CORONA: Supporters sue to save Prado Dam mural
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CORONA: Patriotic mural to disappear from Prado Dam

“Being involved in the past year and working hard with the conservancy has been just really exciting and a roller coaster with negotiations on the mural,” said Perry Schaefer, co-designer of the mural. “And now seeing it all come together is just amazing and mind blowing we’ll be able to maintain this history after all.”

So far, workers are painting “200 Years of Freedom” in red paint on a white background. Next, they will work on the liberty bell and “1776-1976.”

“We chose the freedom liberty bell because it best symbolized our country,” Schaefer said. “This country is not perfect and it has cracks, but it the freedom it symbolized is important. And we have a piece of that here in California with the mural.”

Information: http://friendsofthepradodammural.com

​ Orange County Register 

Elon Musk says owning Twitter ‘painful’ but needed to be done

• April 12, 2023

LONDON — Billionaire Elon Musk has told the BBC that running Twitter has been “quite painful” but that the social media company is now roughly breaking even after he acquired it late last year.

In an interview also streamed live late Tuesday on Twitter Spaces, Musk discussed his ownership of the online platform, including layoffs, misinformation and his work style.

“It’s not been boring. It’s quite a rollercoaster,” he told the U.K. broadcaster at Twitter’s San Francisco headquarters.

It was a rare chance for a mainstream news outlet to interview Musk, who also owns Tesla and SpaceX. After buying Twitter for $44 billion last year, Musk’s changes included eliminating the company’s communiciations department.

Reporters who email the company to seek comment now receive an auto-reply with a poop emoji.

The interview was sometimes tense, with Musk challenging the reporter to back up assertions about rising levels of hate speech on the platform. At other times, Musk laughed at his own jokes, mentioning more than once that he wasn’t the CEO but his dog Floki was.

He also revealed that he sometimes sleeps on a couch at Twitter’s San Francisco office.

Advertisers who had shunned the platform in the wake of Musk’s tumultuous acquisition have mostly returned, the billionaire said, without providing details.

Musk predicted that Twitter could become “cash flow positive” in the current quarter “if current trends continue.” Because Twitter is a private company, information about its finances can’t be verified.

After acquiring the platform, Musk carried out mass layoffs as part of cost-cutting efforts. He said Twitter’s workforce has been slashed to about 1,500 employees from about 8,000 previously, describing it as something that had to be done.

“It’s not fun at all,” Musk said. “The company’s going to go bankrupt if we don’t cut costs immediately. This is not a caring-uncaring situation. It’s like if the whole ship sinks, then nobody’s got a job.”

Asked if he regretted buying the company, he said it was something that “needed to be done.”

“The pain level of Twitter has been extremely high. This hasn’t been some sort of party,” Musk said.

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​ Orange County Register 

Lakers work OT to beat Timberwolves, advance to face Grizzlies in first-round series

• April 12, 2023

LOS ANGELES — A raucous, roaring sellout crowd welcomed the Lakers back to the postseason on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. The fans turned the arena electric at times, no doubt imagining their voices igniting another of those extended playoff runs that once were spring rites of passage.

The short-handed Minnesota Timberwolves nearly spoiled the celebration, pushing the Lakers to the brink. The Lakers capitalized on the energy of their fans before it was too late and seized a 108-102 overtime victory that sent them into the first round of the playoffs as the Western Conference’s seventh-seeded team, something that seemed all but unattainable a few months ago.

The Lakers will play the second-seeded Memphis Grizzlies in a best-of-seven series, with Game 1 on Sunday at noon PT in Memphis.

The Lakers were 2-1 against the Grizzlies during the regular season, winning both games at Crypto.com Arena and losing once at FedExForum in Memphis. The Grizzlies will have home-court advantage for the first playoff series between the two franchises.

LeBron James called the Grizzlies “a really good team, very well-coached.” He then listed the strengths of their rotation players one by one in an extended analysis of the Lakers’ first-round opponent, pausing after several minutes to add, “Obviously, I haven’t thought about Memphis one minute.”

James was joking, of course.

No team in the three-year history of the play-in tournament has won a first-round series, so the odds were stacked against Tuesday’s winner. Neither the Lakers nor the Timberwolves played the kind of game that might lead anyone to think they could become the first to break through.

Minnesota was the better, more consistent, team for most of the game despite playing without two starters in their lineup. The Timberwolves led by as many as 15 points in the third quarter before the Lakers rallied behind Anthony Davis, James and backup guard Dennis Schröder.

“The crowd definitely got us back into it,” Davis said. “Having the crowd behind us, it was fun. This is what you dream about playing in Crypto, and just allowing the crowd to do their thing and getting the other team rattled and giving us a little more energy to go on runs.”

James’ 3-pointer with 2:02 left in regulation pulled the Lakers even at 95-all, sending the crowd into a frenzy. Neither team could break the tie in the closing seconds, turning over the ball repeatedly, until James passed to an open Schröder for a tie-breaking 3-pointer with 1.4 seconds left.

Davis then fouled Minnesota’s Mike Conley on a 3-point attempt and Conley made all three free throws with 0.1 remaining to send the game into overtime tied at 98-all. Davis – who led a defensive effort that held Minnesota to seven total points over the final 11 minutes of the game – paid the price for his aggressive defense of Conley, running at him from some distance and lumbering into him. Davis and James said they had a mix-up about who was supposed to defend the shooter in the corner.

“That was totally on me,” said Davis, who had 24 points, 15 rebounds and three blocked shots. “He faded out of bounds where I was going. But it goes back to next-play mentality, and we got it done in overtime.”

In overtime, James fed Rui Hachimura for a 3-pointer from the right wing and the Lakers took a quick 101-98 lead. Schröder’s layup on a give-and-go play with Davis made it 103-98 on the next possession, and the Lakers suddenly were in command with their largest lead of the game. Schröder iced the win with two free throws with 8.4 seconds left.

James led the Lakers with 30 points to go with 10 rebounds and six assists. Schröder had 21 points, going 3 for 4 from 3-point range and stepping up tremendously for D’Angelo Russell, who had a rough game against the team that traded him in February. Russell had eight assists but scored two points on 1-of-9 shooting before getting benched down the stretch.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 24 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks for Minnesota and played with five fouls from the start of the fourth quarter on. Conley had 23 points and finished 6 for 8 from behind the arc.

The Timberwolves must win a second play-in game Friday against either the New Orleans Pelicans or Oklahoma City Thunder in order to advance as the eighth-seeded team and set up a first-round series against the top-seeded Denver Nuggets. The Pelicans and Thunder play Wednesday.

The Lakers were at something resembling full strength, apart from the nagging foot injuries James, Davis and Russell had battled in recent days and weeks. All three were in the starting lineup, however. Schröder (neck/Achilles) also was sound after sitting out the past two games.

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The Timberwolves were nowhere near full strength, however, and it was their own fault after they suspended center Rudy Gobert one game after he threw a punch at teammate Kyle Anderson during a timeout in the second quarter of Sunday’s victory over the Pelicans that sent them to L.A.

In addition, Jaden McDaniels couldn’t play because of a broken right hand, suffered when he punched a wall in frustration during the Timberwolves’ victory over the Pelicans. He was fitted for a cast Monday and was said to be out indefinitely. Plus, Naz Reid was sidelined by a fractured wrist.

The Lakers outscored Minnesota 19-12 in the fourth quarter and 10-4 in OT.

“We expected a dogfight and they gave us one,” said Lakers coach Darvin Ham, whose team started the season 2-10 and sat six games below .500 at the trade deadline.

Davis, who played 43 minutes, sounded eager for a few days to recharge.

“It took everything out of us to get to where we are, and it took more out of us tonight,” Davis said. “But we’ve got a couple of days before we go to Memphis to start preparing for them. It’s been a battle. It’s been an up-and-down season for us, but now is the time to show who we are, and we showed it tonight.”

“My job is to lead this team defensively and that’s what I wanted to do and it kind of got us going.” @AntDavis23 with @LakersReporter on tonight’s play-in win, his foul on Conley in regulation and more. pic.twitter.com/G2uEv6jPAh

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) April 12, 2023

Monster performance by @AntDavis23 (24 PTS, 15 REB, 3 BLK, 2 STL) in the #ATTPlayIn OT win!

Lakers/Grizzlies Game 1: Sun, 3pm/et, ABC pic.twitter.com/tSQRilVXwf

— NBA (@NBA) April 12, 2023

30 FOR THE KING.
LAKERS WIN TO GET IN.@KingJames powers the Lakers into the #NBAPlayoffs presented by Google Pixel! pic.twitter.com/6Hw35GM3qf

— NBA (@NBA) April 12, 2023

Dennis Schroder came up big in the clutch tonight with 18 of his 21 points coming in the 2H and OT!

The @Lakers will face Memphis in Round 1.

Sunday, April 16
ABC pic.twitter.com/t0ez1P6P3X

— NBA (@NBA) April 12, 2023

.@KingJames on the #Lakers journey to get to the #NBAPlayoffs, his early thoughts on the Memphis matchup and overcoming AD’s close out foul on Mike Conley. pic.twitter.com/PboFoxGc7u

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) April 12, 2023

“This game was the definition of having the ‘next-play’ mentality.” Darvin Ham on the #Lakers getting the win, their resiliency and Dennis Schröder’s big night. pic.twitter.com/hEdQrelEhQ

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) April 12, 2023

“It’s probably the loudest I’ve seen it since I’ve been here.” Austin Reaves on the atmosphere tonight and how the #Lakers overcame the late game turnovers. pic.twitter.com/FMVLFgrRt0

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) April 12, 2023

​ Orange County Register 

Tesoro softball defeats Mission Viejo for sole possession of first place in league

• April 12, 2023

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Kiara Cisneros hit a grand slam and Loula McNamara allowed one earned run in six innings to lead Tesoro’s softball team to a 12-2 victory at two-time defending South Coast League champion Mission Viejo on Tuesday.

Cisneros and Kennedy Proctor — both juniors — each finished with three hits to pace the attack by the Titans (12-4-1, 3-0), who took sole possession of first place in the South Coast League. Proctor also hit a solo home run and scored three runs.

McNamara, a sophomore left-handed pitcher, scattered seven hits, walked two and struck out three.

Tesoro, ranked 11th in Orange County, plays at No. 16 Aliso Niguel (15-4, 1-1) on Friday in another key South Coast League game.

Mission Viejo fell to 10-11-1 overall, 2-1 in league.

In other games:

In the Empire League:

No. 17 Cypress 8, No. 5 Pacifica 3: Junior Breana Townsend went 2 for 4 with four RBIs and junior MadelineGranados allowed one earned run in a complete game as the visiting Centurions (15-2-1, 5-0) finished the first round of league undefeated. Pacifica fell to 14-7, 3-2.

In the Crestview League:

No. 4 Esperanza 11, No. 14 El Modena 1: Mia Sanchez allowed one run and struck out five and Jenna Gober and Sharyn Duncan hit home runs as the host Aztecs (16-4, 4-0) posted their second consecutive mercy-shortened victory against the Vanguards (11-9, 1-3).

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Taylor Shumaker added three hits for Esperanza.

No. 13 Canyon 7, No. 7 Villa Park 6: Carson Cooper went 2 for 4 with three RBIs and Sam Gresham and Jessalyn Gallegos each drove in two runs to help the host Comanches (14-8, 2-2) take sole possession of second place. The Spartans (15-7, 1-3) lost by one run for the third time in the past four games.

​ Orange County Register