LOS ANGELES -- After the Los Angeles Lakers closed out their last home game of the regular season by routing the Houston Rockets 140-109 on Friday night to clinch the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, Austin Reaves joked that the team's campaign, at times, felt like five seasons in one.

All the ups and downs and twists and turns L.A. endured provided Reaves with clarity as he looked ahead to the postseason.

"I feel like we could win a championship, to be honest with you," Reaves said.

Luka Doncic, who scored 39 points on 13-of-19 shooting through three quarters, agreed with Reaves.

"That's our only goal," Doncic said. "I think we have the team to do it."

The Lakers made sure to enjoy their victory Friday night.

Coach JJ Redick had to change into a kelly green Philadelphia Eagles sweatshirt before his postgame news conference after being soaked in the locker room as players bombarded him with ice buckets to celebrate the team's 50th win.

"The whole locker room is literally water," Rui Hachimura said with a smile. "Straight water."

Hachimura said Redick told the team that after he was hired by L.A. in June, leaving behind a burgeoning career as an NBA broadcaster and podcaster, he set two goals for himself: to win 50 games and to secure the No. 3 seed (76 of the league's 78 all-time champions were the No. 3 seed or better).

On Friday, he accomplished both.

"Just incredibly proud of our team," Redick said after apologizing for the $17,000 in damages he estimated the Lakers caused to the locker room carpet. "It's an accomplishment to win 50 games in the regular season in any year. I think particularly in this year, in this Western Conference, it is. And it's a credit to our players. Each one at different points in time has contributed to winning. They've all participated in a winning culture."

Though Doncic has emerged as L.A.'s best player down the stretch, this Lakers team got to this point with LeBron James leading the way for the past seven years.

James, who exited the game after putting up 14 points and eight assists in 22 minutes before appearing to tweak his left hip/groin area, is "fine," according to Redick. The 22-year veteran left the arena without speaking to reporters but congratulated the team with a post on X after the game.

"Man I was going to say something but it's useless at this point in my career! Anyways more important CONGRATULATIONS JJ on a 50 win season in the WEST & Post Season nod!"

Though it is unclear what James was specifically referring to when he wrote that he wanted to "say something," former Detroit Pistons great Isiah Thomas had criticized him for going through his personal workout five hours before tipoff without a shirt on during NBA TV's coverage of the game.

"I just totally, 100 percent object to this," Thomas said when the networks cameras showed James' early pregame routine. "I just think the professionalism in our NBA league has diminished so much."

It is also unclear what team L.A. will face in the first round. The Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets all have a chance to secure the No. 6 seed in the West, and lock in the Lakers as an opponent, heading into the final two days of the regular season this weekend.

For now, the Lakers will travel to Portland to play the Trail Blazers in the finale Sunday -- and will surely hold out the bulk of their rotation players -- and then have a week off before hosting Game 1 of their first-round series next weekend.

"The good part of the season is coming, so you got to stay ready, got to stay locked in, but for sure, the rest is going to be great for me," Doncic said.

It will be the first time L.A. opens the playoffs with a home game since 2010-11, Phil Jackson's last season as coach. (The Lakers were the No. 1 seed in 2019-20, but the postseason was played in the NBA bubble in Orlando.)

And they'll have the No. 1 all-time playoff total points scorer in James and the No. 2 player in playoff scoring average in Doncic.

"It's not just me and LeBron," Doncic said. "We have a great team around us; everybody helps us in so many ways. So, if we want to win the championship it's going to take all of us."

BOSTON -- Payton Pritchard scored 22 points, Sam Hauser had 20 and the Boston Celtics beat the Charlotte Hornets 130-94 on Friday night for their 60th victory of the season.

Boston reached 60 wins for an NBA-best 15th time in franchise history and the first in back-to-back seasons since 2007-08 and 2008-09. Seven of their previous 14 60-win seasons ended with an NBA championship.

"Another incredible season," said Jayson Tatum, who had 16 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists. "You know, 60-plus-win team. Obviously the goal is to compete for championships, but I think enjoying the process along the way and cherishing those small wins, per se, and acknowledging that we had another incredible regular season, you know, something to be proud of, for sure. But now, just kind of shifting gears and getting our minds and our bodies ready for what's to come."

Derrick White added 19 points, and Al Horford had 13 points with 11 rebounds for the Celtics (60-21), who will play the winner of the Orlando Magic-Atlanta Hawks play-in tournament game in the first round of the playoffs.

Boston coach Joe Mazzulla rested his starters in the final quarter.

Celtics star Jaylen Brown was out with a sore right knee that has hampered him the past month, making him ineligible for postseason awards because he didn't reach the league's threshold for games played.

Seth Curry led the Hornets with 17 points and hit his 82nd 3-pointer, which qualifies him for the NBA's percentage lead. He went 5-of-7 on 3s and is at 45.6%.

Sacramento's Zach LaVine entered the night, leading at 44.6%.

Boston, which set the league record for 3s in a season this month, hit seven in the third, pushing a one-point halftime edge to 91-75 entering the fourth.

The Celtics were coming off a 20-point loss in Orlando on Wednesday when they sat their top six players.

Boston and Charlotte will meet again Sunday in both teams' regular-season finale.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

NEW YORK -- Yankees manager Aaron Boone, after speaking with bench coach Brad Ausmus, didn't mince words about what they had just seen New York and the San Francisco Giants endure.

"That's probably the worst conditions we've ever experienced, and we've been doing this for a long time," Boone said.

On a cold night when play started after a 26-minute delay, umpires suspended the game with the bases loaded in the top of the sixth inning, then called it after the minimum 30-minute wait. San Francisco had burst to a 5-0 first-inning lead and went on to a 9-1 victory.

It was 44 degrees at game time and windy, and the rain was steady throughout.

Boone had discussed the conditions with umpire crew chief Lance Barksdale and grew concerned as rookie Yoendrys Gómez had trouble gripping the ball in the sixth, when he walked four batters. Gómez's fastball averaged 90.1 mph, down 3 mph from his season average.

"Lance, obviously, has been around a long time; myself, I was like: 'It's pretty rough right here,'" Boone said. "My concern was when the velo really dropped off, and then it starts turning into a completely different game, and that's what I want to avoid."

Boone said player safety was on his mind throughout the game. Yankees catcher Austin Wells said pitcher control was impacted by the conditions, causing some up-and-in pitches.

"That's not fun. Definitely not something you want to see," Wells said.

Gómez didn't blame the conditions for his rough inning but admitted he had some difficulty.

"If it's raining a lot there comes a point where it's probably not the best to play the game," he said through an interpreter.

NEW YORK -- Yankees pitcher Marcus Stroman went to a hospital for tests on his left knee after he gave up five runs before getting chased in the first inning of a 9-1 loss to the San Francisco Giants on a cold and rainy Friday night.

New York manager Aaron Boone had just about finished his postgame news conference when he revealed Stroman was not in the clubhouse to speak with reporters.

"He came out. His knee was bothering him, so he went to get some tests done on his knee, so we'll see what we have from there," Boone said. "He said his left knee was bugging him, so he got some X-rays here, and I think he went to the hospital to get some more testing, and so we'll see what we have tomorrow."

Jung Hoo Lee hit a three-run homer and LaMonte Wade Jr. a two-run double in the first inning as the Giants won for the ninth time in 11 games. The game was called in the top of the sixth inning after weather conditions deteriorated.

New York has lost four of five following a 6-2 start and its rotation has a 5.46 ERA, worst among the 30 teams. Max Fried has a 1.56 ERA, but Carlos Rodón is at 5.19, Will Warren at 6.00, Carlos Carrasco at 7.71 and Stroman at 11.57.

"We got to do better," Boone said. "Obviously, we're coming off a great start with Max. But we've struggled to this point. ... It's 13 games in, but we've got night in and night out to pitch a little bit better to put us in a good situation."

Stroman lasted nine batters, throwing 46 pitches and getting two outs while allowing four hits and three walks.

Clarke Schmidt is slated to rejoin the Yankees on Tuesday or Wednesday after recovering from right rotator cuff tendinitis that has sidelined him since spring training. Boone wouldn't address who would be dropped from the rotation.

Stroman's ERA would be the highest in the major leagues if he had enough innings to qualify.

"He's dotting off the plate," Boone said, "and then when he came into the zone he got hurt."

A right-hander who turns 34 on May 1, Stroman (0-1) is in the second season of a two-year contract guaranteeing $37 million. His deal includes a $16 million conditional player option for 2026 that could be exercised if he pitches in at least 140 innings this year.

He skipped the Yankees' first two spring training workouts at a time when he didn't have a projected rotation role behind Gerrit Cole, Fried, Rodón, Luis Gil and Schmidt. He arrived on Valentine's Day, eight days ahead of the mandatory reporting date.

"I won't pitch in the bullpen. I'm a starter," Stroman said, repeating "I'm a starter" seven times in a 13-second span. Injuries to Cole, Gil and Schmidt created an opportunity.

A two-time All-Star, Stroman hasn't pitched through the fifth inning this season and has a 2.04 WHIP. Batters are hitting .467 (7-for-15) against him in the first inning with four walks.

"The movement qualities are there. Again, it's less margin for error and there's probably some adjustments we can all make," Boone said. "The stuff's not much different than the first half of last season to the second half to now, so just we got to execute a little better."

LOS ANGELES -- An MRI revealed Justin Steele is "dealing with the same injury" as last year, when a bout with tendinitis briefly shut him down during the stretch run, Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell said.

Steele, however, will seek a second opinion on his injured left elbow.

"He's going to get some more opinions on it," Counsell said before Friday's series opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers. "We're kind of dealing with the same thing he was last year, and for that reason, Justin wants to make sure, and we want to make sure, that we get the right information moving forward. So he's going to get another opinion and then go from there."

Steele pitched seven scoreless innings at home against the Texas Rangers on Monday but came out of that start with his left elbow feeling abnormally tight, a condition he attributed partly to the cold weather. Two days later, with the issue persisting, the Cubs placed him on the 15-day injured list for what they hoped would be a minimum stint. At this point, though, his timetable is uncertain.

Steele, who pitched to a 3.10 ERA in 78 starts from 2022 to 2024, missed the first two weeks of September last season with what was described by the team as tendinitis. His recent flare-up clearly has the Cubs worried.

Asked if Steele could be headed for Tommy John surgery, a procedure he underwent in 2017, Counsell said: "There's no decisions right now. Justin wants to get all the information. He wants to get another opinion. So until we do that, I think we got to wait for that and let him use all the information to decide what's next."

LOS ANGELES -- Freddie Freeman hadn't been on the injured list in eight years and didn't want to go on it this year, even while battling an aggravation of the ankle injury that plagued him last October.

He came away grateful for having done so.

"I hate to say it," Freeman admitted, "but I might have needed the 10 days."

The Los Angeles Dodgers activated Freeman off a brief stint on the IL ahead of their series opener against the Chicago Cubs on Friday, the same day the team gave away a bobblehead commemorating his Kirk Gibson-style walk-off home run in the 2024 World Series.

Freeman went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts, was hit by a pitch and scored a run in the Dodgers' 3-0 win, his first game since March 29.

"Got on base by way of hit-by-pitch and it was just his first game back," manager Dave Roberts said. "He does a lot of great things, but this was a tough one. He'll be back in there tomorrow."

Freeman spent all of last year's postseason playing through a sprained right ankle that necessitated offseason surgery. The ankle was still causing discomfort as he navigated through spring training. He missed the season-opening two-game series from Japan because of discomfort in his right side -- the other injury that plagued him last fall -- and felt tightness in the ankle toward the end of the ensuing series against the Detroit Tigers from Dodger Stadium. Then, on the morning of March 30, Freeman slipped while stepping into his shower and aggravated the injury.

Freeman missed the three-game series against his former team, the Atlanta Braves, last week, then made the trip to Philadelphia intending to play and was instead placed on the IL. A week later, Freeman said this is "the best I've felt since I've gotten hurt."

Freeman took live batting practice against a Dodgers minor leaguer at the ballpark Monday and Wednesday, then hit against Trajekt, the popular pitching simulator, on Thursday. But the real proof came while doing running exercises and not feeling any hesitation as his right foot hit the bases, a particular source of consternation last October.

"I have no reservations going into this game," Freeman said. "I feel like I can steal a base."

Roberts was playfully asked if Freeman, with 98 stolen bases in his 16-year career, has the green light on the bases moving forward.

"No," Roberts said with a smile. "It's as red as red can be. Fire-engine red."

Only one player, Marcus Semien, played in more regular-season games than Freeman from 2018 to 2024. Throughout his career, Freeman has taken deep pride in being available on a daily basis, no matter what might be nagging him. Relenting to the IL last week was a sign to the Dodgers that he might be more open to the idea as a means of keeping himself healthy for the stretch run of a season.

Freeman doesn't have any off days planned for the foreseeable future but said he will determine the health of his ankle on a "series-by-series" basis. Roberts called it a "read-and-react situation." Freeman is 35, a time when players' bodies begin to wear out. But this, Freeman stressed, has nothing to do with age.

"I rolled my ankle, I tore ligaments on the left side and the right side and chipped off cartilage and had surgery four months ago," he said. "I'm not looking at it as an age thing. I feel like I keep myself in great shape. I feel like I was swinging it pretty good and playing good baseball before I got hurt. I guess you can say age is falling in a bathtub. Maybe that can be it. But I feel good."

The home side were on top from early on and thought they had struck first when Jordie Barrett crashed over, but the try was ruled out after the TMO spotted a knock-on from Ringrose in the build-up.

It merely delayed the inevitable as, a few minutes later, some sharp handling created space for Deegan to dive over in the corner.

Kyle Rowe looked ready to hit back for Glasgow with a break up the touchline until Barrett tracked back to sweep up his kick through and snuff out the danger.

Warriors hopes suffered a double-blow when Adam Hastings was penalised for a deliberate knock-on to prevent Ringrose running in for a try. Yellow card for Hastings, penalty try awarded, and a mountain to climb for Warriors.

The home side were ramping it up and made their numerical advantage count by whipping the ball wide to send Lowe over on one wing, then O'Brien over on the other.

At 26-0, the contest was effectively over with barely half an hour on the clock.

The blue shirts were coming in waves and Glasgow could not escape. Sam Prendergast slipped a deft little kick in behind the Warriors defence for Keenan to score.

Half-time came as welcome respite for the beleaguered Warriors, but Leinster kept their foot on the throat, Ringrose bursting through the midfield to score.

It was all too easy and Josh van der Flier popped a basketball pass over the top for substitute Sheehan to go over for try number seven.

Glasgow's evening went from bad to worse when Matt Fagerson departed with a nasty looking leg injury.

Leinster were in no mood to show any sympathy and a lovely chip from substitute Ross Byrne landed into the grateful arms of Deegan to go over for his second try of the evening and round off a powerful, clinical display.

After defeats in the past three consecutive finals, Leinster are desperate to get their hands on the Champions Cup. On this evidence, they will take some stopping.

Leinster head coach Leo Cullen: "There is a good desire there at the moment. We had a great day last week at Croke Park, a six-day turnaround and the guys added freshness.

"We're into the next round and Ulster are here next week in the URC. The group is hungry and motivated at the moment and that's what we want to see."

Glasgow head coach Franco Smith: "It was the first time we've been completely bullied in every part of the game.

"As coaches, we just keep on telling the players that we need to improve, there is more required, there is a difference between club and international level.

"You play a team like this, you realise that, you understand the work that still needs to be done - may that be in the gym or on the field with decision making, the pressure, how you manage the game when you start losing the contact part of it."

Leinster: Keenan, T O'Brien, Ringrose, Barrett, Lowe, Prendergast, Gibson-Park, Healy, Kelleher, Furlong, J McCarthy, Snyman, Deegan, van der Flier, Conan.

Replacements: McGrath for Ringrose (52), Slimani for Gibson-Park (52). Not Used: Sheehan, Porter, Mangan, Doris, Byrne, Henshaw.

Glasgow Warriors: Rowe, Dobie, McDowall, Jordan, Steyn, Hastings, G Horne, McBeth, Matthews, Talakai, Brown, Samuel, M Fagerson, Darge, Vailanu.

Replacements: Schickerling for G. Horne (60), Bhatti for Matthews (48), Afshar for Samuel (60). Not Used: Stewart, Du Preez, Williamson, Ferrie, Cancelliere.

Sin Bin: Hastings (22).

Referee: Luke Pearce (RFU).

ST. LOUIS -- Michigan State junior forward Isaac Howard won the Hobey Baker Memorial Award on Friday as college hockey's top player.

Howard, 21, led the nation in averaging 1.41 points per game and became the Spartans' first player to win the award since goalie Ryan Miller in 2001, and the third overall. Howard is from Hudson, Wisconsin, and was selected by Tampa Bay with the 31st pick in the 2022 draft.

Howard finished fifth in the nation this season with 52 points (26 goals, 26 assists) in 37 games while helping lead Michigan State to win the Big Ten regular-season and conference tournament titles.

He won the honor over two other finalists, Denver sophomore defenseman Zeev Buium and Boston College sophomore forward Ryan Leonard, who has already made the jump to the NHL with the Washington Capitals.

Boston College's Jacob Fowler won the Mike Richter Award as goalie of the year. The sophomore was the only repeat finalist and finished the season ranked third with 25 wins, second with a 1.63 goals-against average and third with a .940 save percentage.

Boston University's Cole Hutson, who led all freshmen with 46 points (14 goals, 32 assists), won the Tim Taylor rookie of the year honors.

The awards were presented during the NCAA's Frozen Four championship in St. Louis with Western Michigan (33-7-1) facing Boston University (24-13-2) in the final Saturday night.

Hobey Baker was a football and hockey star for Princeton before serving in the Army Air Corps during World War I. He was 26, and already scheduled to be shipped home, when he was killed in a plane crash in France.

AC Milan coach Sérgio Conceição praised the way Udinese fans applauded Mike Maignan when he had to be carried off on a stretcher following a collision with AC Milan teammate Álex Jiménez in the second half of their 4-0 win on Friday.

Milan were up 2-0 at Udinese in Serie A when Maignan left the box and clashed heads with Jiménez while trying to block the ball in the 51st minute.

Maignan was a victim of racial abuse the last time Milan travelled to Udinese in January 2024 and the French keeper briefly walked off the pitch after being subjected to racist chants by the local fans.

"It impressed me. The player on the ground, the chaos around him ... I have to compliment the Udinese fans," Conceição told Sky Sport.

"The player is one thing, and the man is another. They can boo the player, but not the man. That applause was an incredible gesture, in 40 years of football I have seen few gestures like that. Now Mike is in hospital for tests."

Milan players urgently gestured the team's medical staff to attend to Maignan, who appeared to be unconscious for a brief moment.

The Rossoneri sit ninth on 51 points with six games left to play in a largely disappointing campaign.

"Today we were a team, but it's only three points," said Conceição, whose side have won only three of their last eight games.

"Now we immediately think about Atalanta. In any case I saw a solid and a balanced team, as well as physically available. There was time to work on it, it was important to have 2-3 weeks to work."

Milan host third-placed Atalanta next weekend before facing Inter Milan in second leg of their Coppa Italia semifinal, which remains their best bet to secure European football next season.

Conceição remained tight-lipped when asked if the team still believed they could secure European action.

"We're thinking about working tomorrow, we shouldn't talk too much," he said. "In the end what matters are the results of each day [of training], the rest comes as a consequence in the game."

AC Milan secured a convincing 4-0 victory at Udinese in Serie A on Friday, with Sérgio Conceição's side earning its first win in nearly a month.

Udinese is on its worst run since the end of the 2022-23 season, when it also lost four in a row. It remains in 11th place.

Milan, who last secured three points in mid-March following a 2-1 home win against Como, are ninth in the standings on 51 points after 32 games. It is six points off fourth-placed Bologna, who travel to Atalanta, in third, on Sunday. 

But Milan will worry about an injury to goalkeeper Mike Maignan, who was taken off on a stretcher after colliding with teammate Álex Jiménez.

Rafael Leão's superb strike from 18 meters was quickly followed by Strahinja Pavlovic's glancing header from a Christian Pulisic corner on the stroke of half-time.

Udinese was forced to chase the game in the second half and Milan took advantage of gaps that opened up.

Theo Hernández added a third in the 74th minute when he started a sweeping move in his own half and finished it off with an unstoppable shot.

Substitute Tammy Abraham's superb cross led to a fourth from Tijjani Reijnders 10 minutes from time. 

Pulisic thought he added a fifth but his goal was ruled out for offside.

Milan have struggled for large parts of this season and winning the domestic cup remains their best chance of qualifying for Europe next campaign.

They face Inter Milan in the second leg of their Coppa Italia semifinal on April 23 after drawing the first game 1-1.

The Italian Cup winners automatically go into the Europa League league phase.

Information from The Associated Press and Reuters was used in this report.