Michael J. Duarte is a sports writer and reporter with NBCLA. He is known for his sharp wit in sports news storytelling and his detailed sports features, Duarte is the 2019 Southern California Sports Journalist of the Year and currently covers the Los Angeles Lakers, Dodgers, Rams, and more.
The Latest
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What's next for the L.A. Kings after fourth straight playoff exit to Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers may have been down, but they proved you can’t count them out. Connor Brown had a goal and two assists as the Edmonton Oilers punched their ticket to the second round of the playoffs with a 6-4 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Darnell Nurse, Zach Hyman and Trent Frederic each...
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Lakers eliminated by Timberwolves 103-96 in Game 5, ending first season with Luka Dončić and LeBron James together
The Los Angeles Lakers so-close-and-yet-so-far first season with Luka Dončić has come to an end. Dončić, who led the Dallas Mavericks all the way to the NBA Finals last season, couldn’t help the Lakers get out of the first round in the 2025 NBA Playoffs, as the Minnesota Timberwolves dispatched of the Lakers 103-96 in Game 5 at Crypto.com...
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Dodgers dominate Pirates 9-2, Tyler Glasnow leaves in 2nd inning with shoulder injury
Andy Pages and Teoscar Hernandez both homered and the Los Angeles Dodgers dominated the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-2 on Sunday afternoon. Dodgers’ starter Tyler Glasnow left the game in the second inning with a right shoulder injury. He joins Blake Snell with two of the Dodgers’ top starters dealing with shoulder injuries early in the season. Glasnow also left his last…
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Timberwolves stun Lakers in Game 4 thriller pushing LA to brink of elimination
Luka Doncic finished with a team-best 38 points in the Game 4 road loss. The Lakers host Minnesota Wednesday.
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Lakers stumble in second half, lose to Timberwolves 116-104 in Game 3, Minnesota leads series 2-1
The Los Angeles Lakers are the higher-seed in their first round playoff series with the Minnesota Timberwolves, but you wouldn’t know it through the first three games of the series. Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels combined for 59 points as the Timberwolves surged past the Lakers in the second half for a 116-104 victory in Game 3 of their best-of-seven…
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Lakers stunned in Game 1 as Timberwolves catch fire from three in 117-95 blowout victory over L.A.
The banners hung high. The building buzzed with playoff electricity. Luka Dončić looked like a man ready to author his first legendary postseason chapter in purple and gold. For the first eight minutes of Game 1, it felt like a storm was brewing inside Crypto.com Arena — but no one saw the tornado that was about to touch down a…
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NBA Playoffs 2025: First-Round collision between the Lakers and Timberwolves has all the makings of a classic
It’s funny how the calendar works. Six months of NBA basketball have brought us here — back to the beginning, and somehow to the brink. Saturday night, the Los Angeles Lakers host the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 of a first-round playoff series that feels anything but ordinary. It’s the kind of matchup that doesn’t just whisper intrigue — it…
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Luka Dončić's return to Dallas is must-see TV as Lakers take on Anthony Davis and Mavs
The heart of Texas will be beating louder than ever on Wednesday night, and not because of barbecue or bluebonnets, but because the beloved basketball superstar Luka Dončić is coming home. Nearly two months after the blockbuster trade that sent shockwaves through the NBA, Luka’s return to the American Airlines Center is shaping up to be something more than...
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Here's the 2025 Dodgers bobblehead schedule and it all starts with Shohei Ohtani on April 2nd
The 2025 Los Angeles Dodgers bobblehead giveaway schedule kicks off on Wednesday, April 2nd when the first 40,000 fans at Dodger Stadium will receive Shohei Ohtani’s 2024 National League MVP bobblehead. The Dodgers are asking fans to arrive early to the game against the Atlanta Braves scheduled for 5:38 PM PT in order to take home a piece of baseball…
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First look at Dodgers 2024 World Series ring as team celebrates championship at Dodger Stadium
LOS ANGELES — On a crisp, cool, Friday night under the bright lights of Dodger Stadium, the Los Angeles Dodgers turned the page on their 2024 championship journey with a dazzling final chapter—one etched in diamonds, sapphires, and pure baseball history. Before their matchup against the Detroit Tigers, the Dodgers players and coaches received the ultimate symbol of their triumph:…
