Second period, 1:31, 0-0: The Rangers are about to go on the power play again.

Nathan Horton hooked Rick Nash, and the Bruins are back to trying to kill off another penalty.

Second period, 0:01, 0-0: The second period is underway.

First period reaction: The Bruins certainly got their chances in the first period, but they weren’t able to put any of those chances in the net. That’s a problem when the point of the game is to score goals.

You have to give Henrik Lundqvist a bunch of credit for that, though. He’s been much better here in Game 3 than he was in Games 1 and 2, especially the second game. Lundqvist had a couple of big saves on breakaways from Chris Kelly and Tyler Seguin. The Rangers made some sloppy plays in front of him, and he was there to bail them out.

The Seguin save was especially noteworthy, not only because Lundqvist made the big save, but also because Seguin usually buries those chances, no matter who’s in net. I think that kind of goes a long way in describing the issues he’s having right now.

On the defensive end, the Bruins have been fine in my opinion. Tuukka Rask has looked a little shaky in giving up some rebounds, but the Bruins have done a good job of clearing those out. Furthermore, the Rangers have yet to take advantage of the Bruins’ rookie defensemen, all three of which are in the lineup again. Is that the fact that the Boston D-men are playing well? To an extent, yes. But the Rangers just aren’t doing enough to generate chances, and in a period in which their goalie stood on their head, that’s the type of thing that could come back to bite you.

End first period, 0-0: The first period comes to an end, and we’re without a goal.

First period, 14:41, 0-0: This has not been Jaromir Jagr’s finest game as a Bruin, not by a long shot.

The forward already took the holding penalty early in the period, then he missed a golden chance to score and finally, he was easily muscled off a puck in the offensive zone.

It’s going to be awfully difficult to win if the Bruins aren’t getting much of anything out of him or Tyler Seguin, two big offensive threats who are looking a little snakebit right now.

First period, 12:00, 0-0: Henrik Lundqvist already looks much better in Game 3 than he did in Games 1 or 2.

The Rangers goalie just made a couple of big saves on breakaways, first robbing Chris Kelly and then stoning Tyler Seguin to keep the game scoreless.

Jaromir Jagr then had a chance, and he couldn’t jam home a rebound chance right in front.

First period, 6:15, 0-0: For the Bruins, that was very, very easy.

The B’s had no issues killing off the New York power play, which is something that should surprise no one given the way the Rangers’ power play has looked in this series. They can’t get out of their own way, and in a way, they’re probably giving the Boston penalty kill some momentum and confidence.

First period, 4:08, 0-0: The Rangers are getting the game’s first power play.

Jaromir Jagr was just called for holding, and the B’s will have to kill it off here early in the first.

First period, 0:30, 0-0: The game is underway with a great shift from the Bruins.

7:35 p.m.: We’re probably five minutes from actually getting underway.

The Bruins will start with the Patrice Bergeron line and they’ll have Johnny Boychuk and Zdeno Chara on the blue line.

7:15 p.m.: The Bruins are going with the same lineup in Game 3 apparently.

For those who haven’t been paying close enough attention, here are the lines that the Bruins have used in the series.

Milan Lucic — David Krejci — Nathan Horton
Brad Marchand — Patrice Bergeron — Jaromir Jagr
Rich Peverley — Chris Kelly — Tyler Seguin
Daniel Paille — Gregory Campbell — Shawn Thornton

Zdeno Chara — Dougie Hamilton
Johnny Boychuk — Matt Bartkowski
Adam McQuaid — Torey Krug

7:05 p.m.:  The Bruins and Rangers are on the ice for pregame warmups in New York, and it looks like the Bruins will go with the same lineup as they did in Game 2.

Neither Dennis Seidenberg nor Wade Redden are on the ice for the pregame skate, meaning they’ll be out again for Game 3.

6:30 p.m.: We’re an hour away from puck drop, which means we’re still 30 minutes away from pregame skate, which is when we should get a better idea of what the Bruins will do lineup-wise, particularly on the back end.

What we do know is that there is no reason for the Bruins to not expect some push back from the Rangers in Game 3. The Bruins, who have historically not made it easy on themselves with series leads under Claude Julien, should know that better than anyone else. All they have to do is go back to the first round where they took their foot off the gas and saw a 3-1 series lead evaporate before eking out the Game 7 win against Toronto. The Rangers, for all their faults in this series, also know that a two-game deficit doesn’t necessarily spell defeat. The Rangers were down 0-2 to the Capitals in the first round before they came back to eventually win the series in seven with wins in Games 6 and 7.

The easiest way to avoid those trends? Have a quick start here in Game 3. If the Bruins can out firing on all cylinders early with that “killer instinct” early on, they can go a long way in taking the crowd out of it. Perhaps more importantly, they might be able to take the Rangers out of it. Some feel that this is a team teetering right now, and they might be one big punch away from hitting the canvas. If the Bruins can deliver that in the early going, we could be looking at a very short series.

If not, the Bruins have no one to blame but themselves.

3:30 p.m.: The Rangers are dealing with some injury issues of their own, and like the Bruins, they may be getting healthier, just not healthy enough to play.

Marc Staal (eye injury) and Darroll Powe (suspected concussion) both skated at morning skate Tuesday. However, they also ended up joining the practice squad with players who have been scratches in the playoffs, so it doesn’t look like either will return.

The Rangers are still waiting for Ryane Clowe to return, as the recently acquired forward remains out.

1:15 p.m.: The Bruins wrapped up an optional morning skate at Madison Square Garden just a little while ago, and B’s coach Claude Julien offered an update on some of the injured defensemen.

Julien said he’d be surprised if Dennis Seidenberg played in Game 3, as the veteran D-man remains out with a lower-body injury. Seidenberg appears to be progressing, but Julien says it looks like Seidenberg isn’t quite there yet.

Wade Redden remains day-to-day for the Bruins as well. He’s been out since the middle of the first-round series with Toronto, and while he’s also progressing in his recovery, his status for Wednesday night is still up in the air.

8 a.m. ET: The Bruins have looked very impressive through two games of their Eastern Conference second-round series with the New York Rangers, and the B’s are now in position to really make this series a laugher.

The Bruins and Rangers will meet Tuesday night for Game 3 of the conference semifinals, where Boston will have a chance to go up 3-0 in the best-of-seven series. Boston took the first two games of the series, winning Game 1 in overtime before trouncing New York 5-2 in Game 2 on Sunday in Boston.

Arguably the biggest difference has been the play of the goaltenders. Tuukka Rask has been the goalie who looks like one of the best in the world, not Henrik Lundqvist, through two games. Rask has given up just four goals in the two games, while Lundqvist has already given up eight through two.

Of course, that’s not all on the goaltenders. The Bruins have also dominated the play in front of the goalies as well, with the most notable contributions coming from a trio of rookie defensemen in Torey Krug, Dougie Hamilton and Matt Bartkowski. At least one of those players may be banished to the press box for Game 3, however. Veteran defensemen Dennis Seidenberg and Wade Redden were both on the ice at Bruins practice Monday, which seems to indicate they’re getting healthy. If either of them are ready for Game 3, it will make for a difficult decision for Bruins coach Claude Julien. Given the way the young guys have played, however, that’s a pretty good dilemma to have to solve.

Puck drop from Madison Square Garden is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Tyler Seguin scored 16 goals in the regular season, but the Bruins are still waiting for their gifted winger to show that goal-scoring form in the playoffs.

Seguin has zero goals and just one assist entering Tuesday’s Game 3 against the Rangers, and Boston would certainly love to see him begin adding to those totals soon. Despite a breakaway attempt in the first period, the 21-year-old just hasn’t been able to break through in the second season.

NESN Nation’s Dan Duquette is hoping that will change soon. See why in the above video.

Join NESN Nation: In-game home page | Twitter | Facebook

Woodson is currently a free agent, making the rounds visiting potential NFL teams, but Raiders fans have done their best to convince the Pro Bowl defensive back that Oakland will always be his home. Woodson was drafted by the Raiders in 1999 and spent the first part of his career there before signing with the Green Bay Packers. Raider Nation would love nothing more than to see him retire in silver and black.

Woodson visited the Raiders team facility on Tuesday, and fans swarmed the area to make their plea. Check out the welcome in the photo below.

Charles Woodson arrived at #Raiders HQ with a big smile. http://t.co/RQl9KOTzcU

—
Vic Tafur (@VicTafur) May 21, 2013

Mid 2nd, 0-0: The Red Sox’ first baserunner of the night comes as a result of the best at-bat of the game so far.

After falling behind 0-2, Daniel Nava fouled off six Jose Quintana pitches before working a 12-pitch walk with two outs. Nava would advance no further than first, though, as Will Middlebrooks saw just three pitches before grounding out to shortstop to end the inning.

Quintana also struck out Mike Napoli swinging and got David Ortiz to pop out to third base to open the inning.

Those who were hoping to see White Sox ace Chris Sale start tomorrow night’s series finale will be disappointed, as the lefty has been scratched with some mild tendinitis in his throwing shoulder.

End 1st, 0-0: Alexei Ramirez reaches on an infield single for the game’s first hit, but Felix Doubront got the following hitter, Alex Rios, to ground into an inning-ending double play to prevent any damage.

Will Middlebrooks was unable to field Ramirez’s slow roller cleanly, but he likely would not have been able to catch the fleet-footed shortstop, anyway.

Rios went 1-for-3 with a walk and scored the game’s first run last night, and he has been an absolute force on the offensive end this season. The right-fielder is batting .301 with 10 homers and 25 RBIs and enters tonight on a league-best 15-game hitting streak.

Mid 1st, 0-0: So, this first inning taught us that Jose Quintana plans on throwing a whole lot of fastballs tonight.

Fourteen of his 15 pitches were of the heater variety — with one slider tossed in there — and the Red Sox could not get out ahead of them.

Quintana got ahead of leadoff man Jacoby Ellsbury 0-2 before inducing a flyout to center (though Alejandro De Aza nearly overran it and needed a little hop to make the catch) and proceeded to strike out both Jonny Gomes and Dustin Pedroia swinging.

De Aza, Alexei Ramirez and Alex Rios are due up first against Red Sox starter Felix Doubront.

8:11 p.m.: Jacoby Ellsbury takes strike one from Jose Quintana and we are underway.

In just his second season in the majors, Quintana has enjoyed moderate success since making his big-league debut last May.

Control problems began to mount as last summer wore on, but the left-hander was dominant in his lone appearance against Boston, scattering five hits and zero walks over eight shutout innings at Fenway on July 19. His bullpen couldn’t back him up, though, as the Red Sox came away with a 3-1 victory.

Ellsbury, Jonny Gomes and Dustin Pedroia will be the first to challenge Quintana tonight.

6:30 p.m.: The lineups have been released for tonight’s tilt, and apart from one predictable adjustment — Daniel Nava shifting to right field in place of the injured Shane Victorino and Jonny Gomes filling Victorino’s No. 2 slot and playing left — they’re identical to what the teams trotted out last night.

Red Sox fans — and, they hope, the Red Sox coaching staff — with be watching leadoff hitter Jacoby Ellsbury very closely tonight. The argument to move Ellsbury down in the order for the first time all season has continued to gain steam, particularly after the center fielder went 0-for-4 with four groundouts to the second baseman in Monday’s 6-4 loss.

That argument has now been complicated further, however, by Victorino’s injury, as some have argued for him to be moved up to the top of the order if Ellsbury continues to struggle. Now with Victorino out (however long that may be for), a look at the Sox’ roster yields no compelling replacement for Ellsbury in the No. 1 slot. John Farrell certainly hopes that is a bridge he will not have to cross.

(According to The Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham, Victorino’s condition is being considered “day-to-day” at the moment, but Farrell has not ruled out placing him on the disabled list.)

Take a look at the full starting lineups for both teams below.

Red Sox
Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Jonny Gomes, LF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
David Ortiz, DH
Mike Napoli, 1B
Daniel Nava, RF
Will Middlebrooks, 3B
Stephen Drew, SS
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C

Felix Doubront, P

White Sox
Alejando De Aza, CF
Alexei Ramirez, SS
Alex Rios, RF
Paul Konerko, 1B
Adam Dunn, DH
Dayan Viciedo, LF
Jeff Keppinger, 3B
Tyler Flowers, C
Tyler Greene, 2B

Jose Quintana, P

8 a.m. ET: The Red Sox came into the final leg of their road trip riding a five-game winning streak. That did not seem to impress the White Sox, who proceeded to rough up Boston ace Jon Lester en route to a 6-4 win Monday night.

The Sox-Sox series continues on Tuesday, with Boston sending Felix Doubront to the hill to oppose Chicago’s Jose Quintana.

Doubront (3-1, 6.03 ERA) is making his second start since returning to the rotation after injuries elsewhere on the staff forced him briefly into the bullpen. He finished with a no-decision his last time out — a 4-3 win over the Rays last Thursday — and struggled mightily with his location, walking a season-high six batter in just five innings.

Quintana has compiled a 2-1 record with a 3.97 ERA through eight starts but hasn’t notched a win since April 24. The southpaw allowed four runs on six hits and three walks in a no-decision against the Angels last Thursday.

First pitch from Chicago is scheduled for 8:10 p.m., with coverage starting on NESN at 7 p.m.

The Bruins learned their lesson in the first round against the Maple Leafs. Now, when they have a chance to put a team in a difficult position, they’re looking to take it.

After nearly coughing up a 3-1 series lead to Toronto, the B’s are intent on closing taking advantage of their 2-0 edge against New York. Add in the fact that the Blueshirts came back from a 2-0 deficit of their own in their previous series, and you’ve got a pretty compelling case for the B’s to make sure they don’t let their foot off the accelerator.

NESN’s Naoko Funayama caught up with Brad Marchand on Tuesday afternoon to discuss Game 3. See what the Bruins winger has to say in the above video or on NESN’s YouTube channel.

The Patriots are three days into their first voluntary workouts of 2013, and one of the biggest storylines has been quarterback Tom Brady‘s chemistry with his receivers. Wes Welker and Brandon Lloyd were the team’s two most productive wideouts in 2012, and both have found roster spots on other teams.

The gaps have been filled, though, with the Pats signing Danny Amendola and drafting a number of other receivers. Amendola has already shown some initiative, spending some time in the offseason getting reps in with his new QB.

Rob Gronkowski underwent a successful surgery on his forearm on Monday and he could be ready for training camp in June, but the horizon may not be so sunny for veteran receiver Aaron Hernandez, who could miss playing time in 2013 recovering from shoulder surgery.

Based on the Patriots’ receiving corps, Brady will have a number of options when it comes to the passing game, but who will lead the pack in receptions?

Teams will sport camouflage caps as well as uniforms with camo lettering and numbering on Monday, May 27, with all proceeds from merchandise sold going to benefit the Welcome Back Veterans program. Last year’s special Memorial Day caps left the team color unchanged but included a camouflage logo, while previous editions have included various combinations of red, white and blue.

Teams are also slated to wear special uniforms on Independence Day and Sept. 11, though those designs have not yet been released.

Check out what the Red Sox will be sporting for their home game against the Phillies in the photos below.

Photos via Boston Red Sox Shop

The Blue Jays slugger has been in the big leagues for eight years and has played roles on five different teams. A lot of mystery surrounds the lifetime ballpark pass, but based on the inscription they are given “in appreciation of long and meritorious service” to the league.

The cards have been presented to players, umpires, scouts and other friends of MLB as far back as the 1930s, according to Buzzfeed Sports. The cardholder has access to any Major League Baseball game for the duration of his life and he is allowed to bring one guest to games.

Check out Bautista’s unique hardware in the photo below.

Photo via Instagram/JoeyBats19

The Bruins are proving the value of their organizational depth against the Rangers, but it will be tested on Tuesday night in New York.

With young defensemen Torey Krug, Dougie Hamilton and Matt Bartkowski called on once again in a key Game 3, it will be all the more important for them to play well because of the game’s locale. They’re no longer safe at home in Boston at TD Garden — the most famous arena in the world awaits them instead.

NESN Nation’s Dan Duquette is optimistic they’ll be up to the challenge. See more in the above video or on NESN’s YouTube channel.

Join NESN Nation: In-game home page | Twitter | Facebook

Michael Jordan, the team’s owner, announced on Tuesday that the Bobcats have submitted intent to change their team’s name to the Hornets. The Charlotte NBA team was named the Hornets from 1988 to 2002, when they moved to New Orleans.

New Orleans is ditching the name for the 2013-14 season and changing its team name to the Pelicans. The Hornets name is owned by the NBA, not the Pelicans.

There’s no word on whether the old Charlotte teal and purple uniforms will return, but we can only hope. The name change would take 18 months to go through, according to future NBA commissioner Adam Silver.

Perhaps the best news of all is that Hugo, the Hornets’ mascot, won’t be unemployed for long.

Photo via Facebook/Larry Johnson

With interest waning and many fans questioning the game’s integrity, it appears the NFL isn’t afraid of compromising that integrity as long as it means more interest overall, according to Albert Breer of the NFL Network.

According to Breer, the NFL is looking to add elements that would make the All-Star game into more of a “game show” than a real NFL game. The elements could even include incentives that would be paid out at different points during the game with the ultimate purpose being “so every single minute of the game has some sort of thing that’s going to keep fans interested and engaged.”

Game show elements could be the solution, then again, they could just make things even worse for the Pro Bowl. No, fans don’t watch strictly for the competitive nature of the game (as the games are never really that competitive), but they might be even less inclined if it becomes more like The Price is Right and less like football.

Something needs to be done to boost interest in the game; Roger Goodell and company just need to make sure that it’s the right thing.

Have a question for Luke Hughes? Send it to him via Twitter at @LukeFHughes or send it here.

Check the channel listings below to see how you can catch NESN’s pre- and postgame coverage of the Bruins. Channel listings subject to change.

Victims of disaster have been met with an outpouring of support from the sports world (including OKC’s most prominent athlete, Kevin Durant, who donated $1 million dollars to the relief efforts), and Mountaineers coach Randy Mazey felt that his team should do its part to assist those affected, as well.

So, the 20-plus members of the WVU baseball team spent Tuesday morning at a local Walmart, where each was given $100 to buy clothes, food and other necessities for those impacted by the tornado.

“I think it meant a lot to [the players],” Mazey told USA Today. “Twenty years from now, when they look back at their college baseball career and the baseball tournament in Oklahoma City, I have my doubts if they’re going to remember the games at all. Just remember what we did for the families and the impact they had on people’s lives and all the devastation.”

The team was originally scheduled to open tournament play against Kansas at Oklahoma City’s Bricktown Ballpark on Wednesday, but the Big 12 decided to push the start date back to Thursday in the wake of the twister that left at least 24 dead and thousands without homes.

Check out more from the Mountaineers’ shopping spree in the photos and video below.

The team donating supplies to Jamie, a victim of today's tornado. http://t.co/WJgf1uQCOA

—
WVU Baseball (@WVU_Baseball) May 21, 2013

Coach Randy Mazey and members of the #WVU baseball team purchasing supplies for today's tornado victims. #HailWV http://t.co/oudfgAAkw4

—
WVU Baseball (@WVU_Baseball) May 21, 2013

The team waiting in line! Can't wait to give all of the clothes to the kids! #wvubaseball #helpmoore http://t.co/Sgp4mzNsUy

—
Brady Wilson™ (@BradyWilson23) May 21, 2013

Just trying to brighten up a little kids day #PrayForOklahoma http://t.co/B4df7aFI7B

—
Pascal Paul (@P_Paul15) May 21, 2013

Photo via Twitter/@WVU_Baseball

Despite a Stanley Cup banner just two years old hanging from the TD Garden rafters, there was reason to believe that some pretty big changes might have been coming in the following days and weeks. Of course, the B’s staged an improbable comeback, scoring three goals in the final 11 minutes to tie the game before winning it in overtime. A week later, Boston is just two wins from reaching the Eastern Conference finals.

That has obviously eased any bubbling tension that may be ready to boil over had the Bruins made a quick exit out of the playoffs. However, Bruins president Cam Neely says that the relationship between himself, general manager Peter Chiarelli and head coach Claude Julien remains effective, despite what anyone else might say.

Any perceived rifts between any of those organizational layers, Neely says, might be overstated.

“But let’s be honest, I don’t care what relationship you’re in, you’re going to have disagreements,” Neely said on 98.5 The Sports Hub on Tuesday afternoon. “That happens. I think that’s healthy. I don’t think anyone would want all three of us to feel the exact same way about Bruins hockey. We have our discussions, we have our disagreements, but overall, we all feel the same way about how we want our club to play and the expectations of our club.”

Neely acknowledged the difficulties the team faced in a short season, but was quick to add that any issues don’t fall solely on Chiarelli or Julien.

“It can’t just be put on coaches and managers,” Neely said. “It’s easy to say we have to get rid of this guy, but sometimes finding a replacement isn’t as easy as one thinks.”

Obviously, as long as the regime and team remain the same, so, too, will the organization’s No. 1 goal.

“Right now, I’m not going into specifics, but I feel like we have a good group that is pulling in the same direction and ultimately we all want the same thing; to continue to win championships,” Neely added. “We have a staff in place that worked really well together and are very committed to do just that and continue to try and bring championships to Boston.”

Listen to the entire interview by clicking here.

Tom Brady, Danny Amendola and most other players wore their short-sleeved practice jerseys and shorts as they worked in the 84-degree heat, but not Talib. The veteran cornerback stuck out like a sore thumb as long, white sleeves covered his arms and two undershirts (red and white) poked out from under the neck of his blank blue jersey.

The only other player seen wearing such unusual attire in the sweltering heat was fellow defensive back Devin McCourty, who sported red sleeves but only a single undershirt. When asked about the interesting wardrobe choice after Tuesday’s organized team activities, Talib was quick to explain that it was all in a day’s work.

“Double shirts, you know,” Talib said. “Out here trying to get hot as possible, get in some good shape.”

Talib is back in New England on a one-year deal after an offseason of uncertainty, including a spell on the free-agent market. In the end, a $5 million offer and the Patriots’ interest were just too tempting for Talib, who said that he was happy with the resolution.

“It’s a great organization, great team. This is where I wanted to be,” Talib added. “I’m happy I’m here. Ready to get to work.”

Now, entering his second season with the Patriots, Talib is much more comfortable with the way things work in New England. Most of all, he’s excited to spend an entire offseason fully acclimating to the defense and entire philosophy of the franchise.

“It’s always good to, you know, have the whole offseason, the whole training camp and everything with the same group,” Talib said. “You know, build that camaraderie. You know how each other speak on the field, learn the terminology. So, that’s all good.”

After a few months away from the field, Talib seemed excited to put the pads back on and he was impressive in his first action of the offseason.

Talib lined up on the left side of the defense, opposite fellow cornerback Kyle Arrington, who got the reps on the outside with the first-team defense. Second-year corner Alfonzo Dennard and the talented but injury-prone Ras-I Dowling were the pairing on the outside with the second team.

All four of them were impressive in their own rights, but Talib’s effort and focus were difficult to ignore. He stuck with his man in stride nearly every time down the field and even had a few nice pass breakups.

One practice in the middle of May won’t tell how a player is going to play come Week 17 or even Week 1, but Talib understands that and is embracing the opportunity to get back to the fundamentals.

“It’s a new year,” Talib said. “Every year, you start from scratch, learn the playbook from scratch, get in shape from scratch. You start the whole process over, so that’s what we are doing now.

“Like I said, you get in good shape and you get the basics of the defense down. Before you start game planning for anybody, you gotta have the basics of your defense down and that’s what we’re getting down right now.”

The Patriots still have three weeks of OTAs remaining before minicamp, two months before training camp and three-and-a-half months until their regular season opener. That may seem like a long time, but Talib knows how important this time can be and he’s using every opportunity to get better — even if it means suffering from the heat.

Have a question for Luke Hughes? Send it to him via Twitter at @LukeFHughes or send it here.

NFL owners approved a $200 million loan for the Falcons to build a new stadium on Tuesday in Boston, according to The Associated Press. The Falcons expect design and construction of the new facility to take four years and expect the stadium to open for the 2017 season.

The multipurpose stadium could cost as much as $1 billion to build. Owner Arthur Blank will pay for most of the facility, with $200 million coming from public funds.

One of the stadium concepts had “impact seating,” large IMAX screens and a fantasy football lounge. The Georgia Dome, which opened in 1992, would be demolished after the new stadium is completed.

Click here to check out video renderings of some proposed stadiums>>

Phil Jackson

All these nibbles from lesser franchises may come with a bigger goal in mind. Despite Jackson saying on “The Tonight Show” that he and Chris Hansen‘s Seattle group were in “serious talk” for him to take over basketball control of the Kings franchise before the NBA blocked the move, ESPN’s Marc Stein reports that Jackson’s end game is — and always has been — the Lakers.

“Some league observers, however, remain convinced that Jackson’s flirtations with teams are largely aimed at convincing Lakers lead basketball decision-maker Jim Buss to cede his organizational power to sister Jeanie Buss — which would theoretically enable Jeanie to bring in Phil, her fiance, back to Lakerland as L.A.’s next front-office chief,” Stein writes.

Everybody in L.A., from coach Mike D’Antoni to general manager Mitch Kupchak, is on notice after the Lakers’ disappointing season. That disappointment could open the door for Jackson to return to the franchise that he brought five championships.

Ellsbury is atop the Boston batting order once again Tuesday night for the second of a three-game series with the Chicago White Sox. The leadoff hitter is batting just .133 (8-for-60) in his last 14 games, posting an on-base percentage of just .224 in that stretch as well. Ellsbury’s power numbers are also essentially nonexistent this season as well as he has just one home run and is slugging .335 entering play on Tuesday.

Ellsbury and the Red Sox will face left-hander Jose Quintana in the middle game of the series. He has one career start against the Red Sox where he pitched eight scoreless innings allowing just five hits against Boston.

Here are the lineups for Game 2 of the series.

Red Sox

Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Jonny Gomes, LF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
David Ortiz, DH
Mike Napoli, 1B
Daniel Nava, RF
Will Middlebrooks, 3B
Stephen Drew, SS
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C

Felix Doubront, P

White Sox

Alejando De Aza, CF
Alexei Ramirez, SS
Alex Rios, RF
Paul Konerko, 1B
Adam Dunn, DH
Dayan Viciedo, LF
Jeff Keppinger, 3B
Tyler Flowers, C
Tyler Greene, 2B

Jose Quintana, P

“How [did] I end up back here?” Talib responded to a question after OTAs at Gillette Stadium on Tuesday. “I signed a contract, came back.”

The veteran cornerback, even if a little vague in his explanation, re-signed with the Patriots during the offseason, returning to New England for a second go around after a midseason trade brought him over in 2012. The first sting went so well that Bill Belichick wanted to bring him back for another, and Talib is glad that he did.

“It’s a great organization, great team,” Talib said. “This is where I wanted to be.”

His contract is a one-year, $5 million deal, which could see him back on the free-agent market at this time again next offseason. That might bother some players, but not Talib. Forget a full year, he’s so focused on football that he’s even having trouble keeping track of his calendar.

“It’s just a time right now in — what’s this month? May? June? Or May? It’ time to get in shape, man.,” Talib said. “That’s all we are worried about right now. That’s all I’m worried about right now, just getting in good shape. The best shape I can be in.”

As for getting back with Devin McCourty, Kyle Arrington and the rest of his Patriots teammates, Talib couldn’t be much happier.

“Yeah, definitely,” Talib added when asked if it was good to be back in the mix. “I feel like I fit in pretty good.”

Talib will finally have a full offseason to spend with his teammates, which should benefit both he and the team come time for the regular season.

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The embattled head coach will not return for a fourth season on the team’s bench, Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski reports. Despite leading the Clippers to a franchise-record 56 wins this season, Del Negro’s coaching style and acumen was called into question by many observers and even his own players following L.A.’s playoff loss to the Grizzlies.

Memphis coach Lionel Hollins and Golden State assistant Mike Malone are reportedly among the Clippers’ candidates, as is Stan Van Gundy, who was let go by the Magic after the 2011-12 season, but who has said he plans to sit out next season.