FACT FOCUS: Trump touts his accomplishments at 100 days but at times falls short on the facts

• April 30, 2025

BY MELISSA GOLDIN, Associated Press

In a visit Tuesday to Warren, Michigan, President Donald Trump celebrated his first 100 days back in office by touting his accomplishments, while embellishing some and misrepresenting others.

The speech of about 90 minutes was reminiscent of a campaign rally and covered much of the same ground as he lobbed insults at the previous administration and detractors.

In highlighting his accomplishments, he made a number of false and misleading statements on topics such as the state of the economy and the price of eggs.

Here’s a look at the facts.

Trump exaggerates drop in gas prices

TRUMP: “Gasoline was almost $4 not so long ago. And now, Mike, we just hit $1.98 in a lot of states. Think of it.”

THE FACTS: As of Tuesday, no state had an average gas price of $1.98. Mississippi had the lowest price, at $2.67 per gallon of regular gas. Trump previously made this claim about the level of gas prices on April 16, but they had not fallen as low as $1.98 that day either — or any day in the last two weeks. Mississippi and Tennessee were tied for the lowest average price on April 16, at $2.707 per gallon of regular gas.

National average prices rose under former President Joe Biden to a high of $5.01 in June 2022 before falling to $3.09 in December of that year. Prices rose again to a high of $3.88 in September 2023, but were down to $3.139 in December 2024. They were at $3.13 nationally as of Tuesday. The last time prices surpassed $4 was in August 2022.

Cost of eggs not as low as Trump says

TRUMP: “Since I took office, the cost of eggs is down 87% now.”

THE FACTS: The retail price of a dozen large eggs decreased in price to $2.07 in September 2023, but has been on the rise since October 2024. As of March, they were up to $6.23.

Wholesale egg prices, on the other hand, fell significantly in March, but not by 87%. They were at a high of $8.17 for a dozen large eggs on March 3 and had dropped to $2.92 by March 26 — a decrease of approximately 64%.

University of Arkansas agricultural economist Jada Thompson told the AP earlier this month that because the wholesale prices did not start dropping until mid-March, there may not have been enough time for the average price for the month to decline. And grocery stores may not have immediately passed on the lower prices.

Inflation was already falling under Biden

TRUMP: “We’re ending the inflation nightmare. The worst that we’ve had, probably in the history of our country.”

THE FACTS: Inflation started falling long before Trump started his second term. Inflation peaked at 9.1% in June 2022 after rising steadily in the first 17 months of Biden’s presidency from a low of 0.1% in May 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. As of December, it had fallen to 2.9%. The most recent data shows that, as of March, it had fallen to 2.4%. Other historical periods have seen higher inflation, such as a more than 14% rate in 1980, according to the Federal Reserve.

Coal production is cleaner, but it still creates emissions

TRUMP: “We stopped their crusade on coal. Did you see what I did the other day? Clean, beautiful coal.”

THE FACTS: The production of coal is cleaner now than it has been historically, but that doesn’t mean it’s clean.

Planet-warming carbon dioxide emissions from the coal industry have decreased over the past 30 years, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Energy lobbyist Scott Segal told the AP earlier this month that “the relative statement that coal-fired electricity is cleaner than ever before is true, particularly when emissions are measured per unit of electricity produced.”

And yet, coal production worldwide still needs to be reduced sharply to address climate change, according to United Nations-backed research.

Along with carbon dioxide, burning coal emits sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides that contribute to acid rain, smog and respiratory illnesses, according to the EIA.

Trump misleads on Biden-era ‘electric vehicle mandate’

TRUMP: “I terminated Joe Biden’s insane electric vehicle mandate where you were mandated to buy an electric vehicle. You were mandated within just a few years to buy an electric vehicle.”

THE FACTS: It’s misleading to claim that the Biden administration implemented such a mandate. In April 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency announced strict limits on greenhouse gas emissions from passenger vehicles. The agency said these limits could be met if 67% of new-vehicle sales are electric by 2032.

And yet, the new rule did not include a requirement for automakers to boost electric vehicle sales directly. It set emissions limits and allowed automakers to choose how to meet them.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced on March 12 that the agency would reconsider the rule, but it has not yet been terminated.

In 2019, Kamala Harris co-sponsored a bill as a U.S. senator called the Zero-Emission Vehicles Act that would have required 100% of new passenger vehicles sold to be zero-emission by 2040. The bill, which stalled in committee, did not ban ownership of vehicles that produce emissions.

​ Orange County Register 

OC District Attorney, crime victims ask legislators to block early release for violent criminals

• April 30, 2025

By PAUL ANDERSON

SANTA ANA — Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer and crime victims Tuesday held a rally calling on state lawmakers to tighten up loopholes they say will allow for violent criminals to earn early release from prison.

The theme of the office’s annual crime victims rally was “re-victimization,” as victims and their loved ones worry that convicts they thought would never get out could still get a pass.

Orange County Board of Supervisors Chairman Doug Chaffee told those gathered outside the offices for prosecutors and sheriff’s deputies that the county will “stand up for victims every step of the way … even as laws change and challenges arise.”

Irvine Police Chief Michael Kent decried “flaws in our system” regarding “current parole and re-sentencing laws.”

He said victims were experiencing “the painful reality of re-victimization. The justice you thought was served is being reconsidered.”

State legislators have changed murder laws, eliminating a theory of liability for anyone associated with a killing being eligible for murder convictions no matter their level of involvement. Now prosecutors must show a more direct involvement in carrying out a murder.

Since lawmakers made the change retroactive, many convicts have petitioned for reconsideration and have been able to gain freedom.

“It’s a re-opening of wounds you worked so hard to heal,” Kent said. “You should never have to fight for the justice you already earned.”

Jacki Chalabian Jernigan, whose sister Dr. Jeanine Rose Chalabian was killed Oct. 10, 1997 by her estranged husband, Hratch Baliozian, detailed how she lost her struggle to keep the defendant behind bars. She noted that when he was sentenced to 35 years to life in prison in 1999 the judge said the defendant’s last breath should be taken behind bars.

Baliozian reached out to his children during the COVID-19 pandemic for help getting out of prison. She said he was denied parole in recent years because he did not complete some courses and had not shown any remorse. But instead of waiting another three years for a parole hearing, he was allowed to try again in a year and a half because he took the courses and was released, she said.

Jernigan appealed for a full parole board to reconsider in September, but the decision was not overturned, she said. She was also unable to get a restraining order against him.

“I still do not know where he is,” she said. “With the internet he can find all of our addresses but we can’t know his. It’s terrible. This is wrong.”

” … Pre-meditated murder is just that,” Jernigan continued. “This level of evil should never be released … I pray this broken system can be improved.”

Susan Montemayor Gutierrez, whose husband David Montemayor was kidnapped and killed in a plot conceived by his sister in Buena Park on Oct. 2, 2002, bemoaned how one of the victim’s convicted killers has been released and his sister is appealing to have her sentence reconsidered under the new state law.

Three of Montemayor’s killers have been condemned to death and two were sentenced to life in prison without parole. Gerardo Lopez’s case was sent to juvenile court and he was eventually released at the border and allowed to “self-deport,” she said.

Deborah Perna, 68, is appealing to have her conviction reconsidered.

“David’s sister solicited the murder,” she said. “She had full understanding of what she was doing.”

Montemayor Gutierrez said a hearing will be held in Orange County in the next couple of months.

“She will be trying to downplay her role in the murder,” she said. “I don’t think she will ever … accept responsibility for her role in the murder.”

She said she was hopeful the petition will be denied, but added that might be “naive.”

The mother of an 8-year-old boy sexually assaulted by Matthew Zakrzewski, 36, who was sentenced in November 2023 to 707 years to life in prison for molesting 16 boys and exposing a 17th to child pornography, criticized a loophole in the law that allows for the early release of some inmates who reach the age of 50 and have served more than 20 years in prison.

Zakrzewski was eligible for parole in May 2039, according to the state Department of Corrections. If he is granted parole, it is likely prosecutors would seek to have him committed to a state mental health hospital as a sexually violent predator.

Spitzer praised the boy’s mother, who appealed along with prosecutor Robert Mestman, for lawmakers to close the loophole. Spitzer was impressed the proposal got out of a public safety committee. The county’s top prosecutor said he was “quite frankly blown away” by the testimonials from crime victims Tuesday.

Spitzer said he was encouraged by the passage of Prop. 36, which allows for increased punishment for recidivist drug and theft convicts.

“It’s up to us,” he said. “We have the power, the ability, the momentum.”

​ Orange County Register 

PHOTOS: Fall of Saigon through the eyes of AP photographers

• April 29, 2025

As North Vietnamese forces captured Saigon, the fall of the southern capital city on April 30, 1975, effectively marked the end of the Vietnam War.

The evacuation of South Vietnamese allies and refugees in the final days was the end of America’s 20-year involvement in the war.

The Associated Press opened its first office in Vietnam in 1950, reporting and photographing escalating events until the bureau was closed shortly after the fall of Saigon.

By July 1975, North and South Vietnam were unified under communist rule as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Associated Press contributed to this report.

​ Orange County Register 

Lakers’ Luka Doncic donates $5K to restore vandalized Kobe and Gianna Bryant mural

• April 29, 2025

Lakers star Luka Doncic donated $5,000 Tuesday to fund the restoration of a vandalized downtown Los Angeles mural depicting team legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna.

The mural, titled “Mambas Forever,” is on the side of a building at the corner of 14th and Main streets. The mural by artist Sloe Motions, whose real name is Louie Palsino, was one of the first created following the 2020 death of Bryant and Gianna in a Calabasas helicopter crash.

MORE: Photos of the murals honoring the memory of Kobe Bryant and Gianna

The vandalism apparently occurred over the weekend, with graffiti covering much of the artwork.

Palsino created a GoFundMe page in hopes of raising $5,000 to restore the mural, writing that he was “eager to bring it back to its original glory.”

On Tuesday morning, Doncic donated the full $5,000 to the page.

“Kobe is L.A.,” Doncic said in a statement released by the Luka Doncic Foundation. “He and Gigi mean so much to this city, to the Lakers organization and to me personally. I’m happy to do anything to help make sure he and his daughter are honored.”

It was unclear how long the restoration effort would take. Palsino wrote on the GoFundMe page that all donations would co “directly towards the materials needed for the restoration process, including high-quality paints, sealants and other essential supplies.”

“The Kobe & Gigi mural holds a special place in our hearts, symbolizing strength, legacy, and love,” Palsino wrote. “By contributing to this cause, you are helping preserve a piece of art that continues to uplift and inspire our community.”

Kobe Bryant won five NBA championships and played his entire career with the Lakers.

Police have not identified any suspects in the vandalism.

The GoFundMe page is at https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-restore-the-iconic-kobe-gigi-mural.

​ Orange County Register 

GM recalls nearly 600,000 Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC cars due to engine failure risks

• April 29, 2025

By WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — General Motors is recalling nearly 600,000 vehicles across its Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC brands in the U.S. due to potential manufacturing defects that can cause engine failure.

The recall covers certain Cadillac Escalades and Escalade ESVs; Chevrolet Silverado 1500s, Suburbans and Tahoes; as well as GMC Sierra 1500s, Yukons and Yukon XLs between model years 2021 and 2024.

According to recall documents published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, these vehicles share a gas engine that may have connecting rod or crankshaft component problems, due to supplier manufacturing or quality issues. This can lead to engine damage, and potentially failure, while driving — increasing crash risks.

Prior to failure, NHSTA documents warn, impacted drivers may be alerted of these issues through loud knocking or banging noises, the check engine light turning on and/or other driving performance issues, such as reduced propulsion.

As a remedy, dealers will inspect affected vehicles — and repair or replace the engine if necessary with newer components, free of charge. Dealers notifications began last week, with owner letters set to be mailed out June 9.

In all, about 597,630 vehicles are covered by the recall, per a notice dated April 24. But the company estimates that just 3% have the defect.

When asked why owner notification wouldn’t start until June 9, GM maintained that it was “common to require time” to both confirm mailing lists for registered owners and ensure that dealers are prepared. The Detroit-based auto company added that it was continuing to increase engine production, but felt confident about having “sufficient supply to service this recall campaign” — noting that it only expects a small percentage to need replacements.

Drivers can also confirm if their specific vehicle is included in this recall, and find more information, using the NHTSA site and/or GM’s recall lookup.

“The safety and satisfaction of our customers are the highest priorities for the entire GM team, and we’re working to address this matter as quickly as possible,” GM said in a statement sent to The Associated Press.

An investigation by GM has found 28,102 complaints or incidents across the U.S. related to engine failure of these vehicles between April 2021 and February 2025, including 14,332 reports that alleged loss of propulsion, NHTSA documents note. The probe also identified alleged reports of 12 crashes and 12 injuries, as well as 42 fires — but noted that causes were not always clear and that “all specifically alleged injuries,” for example, were “minor or non-physical, and most were not crash related.”

​ Orange County Register 

Trump administration tells Congress it plans to label Haitian gangs as foreign terror organizations

• April 29, 2025

By MICHELLE L. PRICE and FARNOUSH AMIRI, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has told Congress that it intends to designate Haitian gangs as foreign terrorist organizations, people familiar with the notification told The Associated Press.

The State Department similarly labeled eight Latin American crime organizations in February as it ratcheted up pressure on cartels operating in the U.S. and anyone assisting them. The new move indicates that the administration plans to put similar pressure on gangs from Haiti. The designation carries with it sanctions and penalties for anyone providing “material support” for the group.

It comes after a series of steps against the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, which was designated a foreign terror organization and then dubbed an invading force under an 18th-century wartime law to justify the deportation of Venezuelan migrants to a notorious El Salvador prison under President Donald Trump’s sweeping immigration crackdown.

That invocation of the Alien Enemies Act is significant because it gives the president wide powers to imprison and deport noncitizens who otherwise would have the right to ask for asylum in the U.S. or have their cases heard in immigration courts.

Trump, at a rally in Michigan on Tuesday, touted his designation of the six Latin American crime groups as foreign terrorist organizations, including MS-13 and Tren de Aragua.

“They’ve been designated the highest level of terrorist, and that lets us do a lot of things that you wouldn’t be able to do,” Trump said.

Notifying Congress about plan for Haitian gangs

According to the notification sent to congressional committees on April 23, the Trump administration said it intends to designate the Haitian gangs Viv Ansanm and Gran Grif as foreign terrorist organizations, according to two people familiar with the message, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details that have not yet been made public.

A third person confirmed that the foreign relations committees in the House and Senate received the notification. The State Department and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The designation follows a Trump administration move in February to nix protections that shielded half a million Haitians from deportation.

Tens of thousands of Haitians came to the United States under a Biden-era program permitting people from four countries including Haiti to stay for two years provided they had a financial sponsor and bought their own plane ticket. The Trump administration terminated that program and is seeking to revoke the status of those admitted under the Biden administration.

The foreign terrorist organization label has typically been reserved for groups like al-Qaida or the Islamic State group, but applying it to Haitian gangs means that the Trump White House is expanding the longstanding U.S. definition of foreign terrorism.

The gangs are behind attacks in Haiti

Viv Ansanm, which means “Living Together,” is a powerful gang coalition that formed in September 2023 and is best known for launching a series of attacks starting in February 2024 across Port-au-Prince and beyond that shuttered Haiti’s main international airport for nearly three months, freed hundreds of inmates from the country’s two biggest prisons and eventually forced former Prime Minister Ariel Henry to resign.

The coalition united more than a dozen gangs, including two of Haiti’s biggest ones: G-9 and G-Pèp, which were fierce rivals.

Gangs control at least 85% of Haiti’s capital, with Viv Ansanm attacking once peaceful communities in recent weeks in a bid to control even more territory.

Gran Grif, also known as the Savien gang, forms part of the Viv Ansanm coalition and is led by Luckson Elan, best known as “General Luckson.” It is the biggest gang operating in Haiti’s central Artibonite region with some 100 members.

It was blamed for an attack in the town of Pont-Sondé in October 2024 in which more than 70 people were killed in one of the biggest massacres in Haiti’s recent history.

Gran Grif also was blamed for a recent attack in the Petite Riviere community in which several people were killed, including an 11-year-old child.

Gran Grif was formed after Prophane Victor, an ex-member of Haiti’s Parliament who represented the Petite Riviere community in Artibonite, began arming young men in the region, according to a U.N. report. Victor was arrested in January.

Canada sanctioned him in June 2023, as did the U.S. in September 2024, accusing him of supporting gangs “that have committed serious human rights abuse.”

Gangs’ impact on Haiti

More than 5,600 people were killed across Haiti last year, with gang violence leaving more than 1 million homeless in the country of nearly 12 million people, according to the U.N.

While much of the violence has occurred in Port-au-Prince, gangs recently struck the city of Mirebalais in Haiti’s central region and freed more than 500 inmates from a local prison. They also attacked the nearby town of Saut d’Eau, considered sacred by the thousands of Haitians who travel there yearly for a Vodou-Catholic pilgrimage.

Gangs also have seized more control in Port-au-Prince, killing more than 260 people in Kenscoff and Carrefour earlier this year. The U.N. political mission in Haiti noted that it took the country’s military, police and a U.N.-backed mission led by Kenyan police roughly five hours to respond to those attacks.

Hunger also has surged to record levels as a result of the persistent gang violence, with more than half of Haiti’s population expected to experience severe hunger through June, and 8,400 people living in makeshift shelters projected to starve.

Amiri reported from the United Nations. AP writers Danica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Rebecca Santana in Washington contributed to this report.

​ Orange County Register 

LA County to DIY-burn property owners: Clear land by June 30 or pay abatement cost

• April 29, 2025

Los Angles County is bringing down the hammer on unincorporated property owners with uncontrolled debris on their land from the January fires to book a private contractor to clear their land by June 30 or expect a bill from Los Angeles County for the work.

The urgency abatement ordinance was approved by the L.A. County Board of Supervisors by a 4-0 vote on Tuesday, April 29.

This order applies only to those property owners — mostly in the unincorporated community of Altadena hit by the Eaton fire ,where some 9,414 structures were destroyed by the devastating conflagration on Jan. 7-Jan. 8 — who did not allow the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to perform the cleanup work.

These property owners who “opted out” of that no-cost service were required to manage their own debris removal, property clearance and disposal of ash, soil and other materials themselves, out of pocket. For the “non-responsive” properties that have not yet completed this work, the debris presents a health hazard to the community and can damage the natural environment, said federal officials.

“The most dangerous thing for this community is to leave debris on parcels in an uncontrolled environment,” said Col. Eric Swenson, commander of the Army Corps’ Los Angeles Wildfires Recovery Field Office, speaking from cleared property in west Altadena where rebuilding of a home had begun on Monday, April 28.

Rain can aggravate the hazards, Swenson said, pointing to downpours on Saturday, April 26 that moved debris from burned out homes from the Palisades fire into local waterways. “It is very important we get that debris removed as quickly as possible, so that rain events don’t carry any debris into our streams and ultimately into the ocean,” he said.

Of the 16,000 structures destroyed in the two fires, 1,715 property owners have opted out of the Army Corps clearing program, Swenson said on Monday. In unincorporated county areas, that includes about 400 who have not yet completed debris removal projects, reported Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, whose district includes Palisades and Malibu.

“They (who opted out) have to do it themselves,” Swenson said. “If they opted out and then do nothing, then the county will have to enforce their opt-out through some kind of abatement,” he said.

He estimated there are about 100 property owners from both fire zones who have not responded, meaning they have not taken out a permit for debris clearance and have not indicated a time-frame for the work.

There are about 230 Army Corps crews clearing properties each day in the two fire zones, Swenson estimated, not including private companies. He said the Army Corps program is at maximum capacity. Indeed, in west Altadena, excavators are digging out contaminated soils and filling large trucks with fire debris that line the narrow streets on way to landfills, while traffic is directed by flagmen at clogged intersections.

Supervisor Kathryn Barger, whose district includes Altadena, said 100% of properties in Altadena have indicated their choice with the county. The overwhelming majority of properties in Altadena that have chosen private contractors are working things out, she said, and only a handful have not been responsive.

She also wants the city of Los Angeles properties in the Palisades to quickly remove debris, so as not to slow the overall recovery. “I’ve talked to the mayor (Karen Bass),” Barger said. “It is important for us to align it,” she said on Monday.

“We need to make sure all the lots are cleared off so when we are doing rebuilding, it is done in a safe and in an orderly fashion,” Barger said on Monday from the land of Margot Steuber, who began rebuilding her home on her property in west Altadena.

“This urgency ordinance helps ensure that public health and safety will be safeguarded by allowing our county to move quickly when private property owners fail to act. Our collective goal is to help create and cultivate safe environments as wildfire survivors work to rebuild and recover,” Barger said.

The new county abatement ordinance is similar to those issued to residents to force brush clearing from homes as a method for reducing the risk of damage from a wildfire, something known as creating defensible space. But these abatement orders are different because they are for clearing property of burned out structures, but also, they have expedited deadlines.

Normally, the county’s nuisance abatement enforcement timeline would give non-responsive property owners until next year to complete the job. “For the health and safety of the community, that delay in correcting this health hazard is simply unacceptable,” read the motion co-authored by Barger and Horvath.

Under the new ordinance, a non-responsive owner must take out a debris-clearing permit by June 1, and the private contractor must complete the job by June 30. If not, L.A. County Public Works has the authority to clear debris themselves and recover the costs by placing a lien on the property.

Shannon Larsuel wrote in the comment box attached to the board agenda that she supports the need to remove all fire debris in a timely manner. “But I think the deadline is too soon, especially given that private contractors have had issues obtaining the required permits. The deadline should be extended to Aug. 31, 2025,” Larsuel wrote.

Altadena businessman Allen Shay said some residents in the burn areas have become homeless. Others are asking how they can pay for repairs of intact homes, while some are unclear on exactly how they can get workers to remove debris from burned out properties.

Judy Matthews, representing the Altadena Chamber of Commerce, said the success of the federal and private debris removal efforts are also critical to the health of the business community. “The current debris presents a significant health risk and removal is crucial to us in order to prevent further losses to our business community,” she said.

Mark V. Jones, a neighbor of Margot Steuber, said where he had lived, the Army Corps crew only removed debris of one burned out home, but not from two others on the same lot. “That doesn’t make sense,” he said on Monday.

Otherwise, Jones, who is living in La Crescenta, generally was pleased with the rate of property clearing in Altadena. “Of course you’d like to see more and faster but all these things take time,” he said.

​ Orange County Register 

Lakers approaching 3-1 series deficit to Timberwolves ‘one game at a time’

• April 29, 2025

EL SEGUNDO — As the Lakers walked off the Minnesota Timberwolves’ home court after blowing a fourth-quarter double-digit lead in their Game 4 defeat, the reality of what they would need to accomplish to keep their season alive beyond this week set in.

The Lakers are hoping to become the 14th team in NBA history to overcome a 3-1 deficit in in a best-of-seven playoff series.

Game 5 of Lakers-Timberwolves is set for Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena.

“[I’ve] seen LeBron [James] do it already,” forward Dorian Finney-Smith responded when asked what characteristics he’s seen from the Lakers that provides confidence they can overcome the deficit.

Finney-Smith added: “But nah, we still feel like we can win this series. We just gotta win one game at a time. Obviously, put ourselves in harm’s way. But we gotta figure it out as a team.”

Finney-Smith was referencing when James famously led the Cleveland Cavaliers to overcome a 3-1 series deficit in the 2016 NBA Finals over the Golden State Warriors, which is the only time a 3-1 deficit has been overcome in the league’s championship series.

“Obviously, you don’t think about winning three,” James said. “You think about just getting the next one. That’s the only thing that matters because if not, obviously, the offseason [begins]. It’s all about Wednesday. That’s what’s important.”

But the odds are heavily against the Lakers from replicating the feat.

Of the 288 playoff series that at some point had a status of 3-1, only 35 times was a Game 7 forced, or 12.15% of the time.

And of those 35 instances, only 13 times did the team trailing 3-1 successfully come back to win the series.

The last team to successfully come back from down 3-1 in a series was the Denver Nuggets in the first and second rounds of the 2020 playoffs (both in the pandemic bubble in Orlando).

The 2023 Boston Celtics were the last team to force a Game 7 after trailing 3-1 in a series (they trailed 3-0) before they were eventually beaten by the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals.

“It’s must-win, as everybody knows,” guard Austin Reaves said after Tuesday’s practice. “Not in an ideal situation, but we still have an opportunity to go out and compete and go get a win.”

First-year Lakers coach JJ Redick on Tuesday described the team as “on edge, as we should be,” adding that the team will need to play with a sense of desperation to avoid their season ending on Wednesday.

“We have to win Game 5,” Redick said. “It’s been conveyed by coaches, players, [Wednesday] is a [Game 7] for us.”

Luka Doncic echoed Redick.

“Confidence is a big part of it,” he said. “We got to treat it like it’s Game 7, and we got to stick together.”

The Lakers can have confidence going into Wednesday knowing that they’ve been competitive despite the series deficit.

But they need to be better late in games, especially in the most precarious moments, to keep the series alive.

The Lakers have beaten Minnesota 337-329 combined in the first three quarters of the series.

But the Timberwolves have beaten the Lakers by a combined score of 105-69 in the fourth, winning the fourth quarter in each game. The Timberwolves have outscored the Lakers 25-11 in the “clutch,” when the score differential is five points or less in the final five minutes of the fourth.

“There’s been a lot of times where we’ve gotten some good looks, and I think in Game 4 in particular, when we didn’t turn the ball over, we had some good looks,” Redick said. “I think three of the first four possessions [of the fourth in Game 4], were what I would call wasted possessions.

“The series requires us to play a certain way. When we’ve played that way, we’ve got good results and the process has been good. And if we haven’t it, it hasn’t looked that good.”

The Lakers have scored 20 or fewer points in each fourth quarter.

“Got to make more shots, that’s it,” Doncic said. “We had some good shots. We didn’t make it. Obviously, me, Bron, AR, we got to walk the game down at this point. I got to do a better job of closing the game out.”

DONCIC’S DONATION TO RESTORE KOBA, GIGI MURAL

Doncic stepped up by paying the entire expected cost of restoring a vandalized mural depicting deceased Lakers icon Kobe Bryant, and his daughter Gigi, in downtown Los Angeles.

The 26-year-old Slovenian star made a $5,000 donation on Tuesday to cover the entire goal of a GoFundMe page created by artist Louie Palsino, who is looking to restore the mural, titled “Mambas Forever,” at 14th and Main streets.

“It was always important to give back to the community that gave me so much,” Doncic said after Tuesday’s practice. “So I just wanted to give back.”

Kobe and Gigi died in a tragic helicopter crash along with seven others on Jan. 26, 2020, in Calabasas.

TIMBERWOLVES AT LAKERS

What: Western Conference playoffs, first round, Game 5

When: Wednesday, 7 p.m.

Where: Crypto.com Arena

TV/radio: Spectrum SportsNet, TNT, truTV, Max/710 AM

​ Orange County Register