Oklahoma City Thunder (64-18, first in the Western Conference) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (53-29, fourth in the Western Conference)
Los Angeles; Saturday, 8:30 p.m. EDT
LINE: Thunder -8.5; over/under is 211.5
WESTERN CONFERENCE SECOND ROUND: Thunder lead series 2-0
BOTTOM LINE: The Oklahoma City Thunder visit the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference second round with a 2-0 lead in the series. The Thunder won the last matchup 125-107 on Friday, led by 22 points from Chet Holmgren. Austin Reaves led the Lakers with 31.
The Lakers are 33-19 in conference matchups. Los Angeles averages 116.3 points and has outscored opponents by 1.7 points per game.
The Thunder have gone 41-11 against Western Conference opponents. Oklahoma City is eighth in the Western Conference with 25.8 assists per game led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander averaging 6.6.
The Lakers average 11.8 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.5 fewer makes per game than the Thunder allow (14.3). The Thunder are shooting 48.4% from the field, 0.1% higher than the 48.3% the Lakers' opponents have shot this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: LeBron James is averaging 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists for the Lakers. Rui Hachimura is averaging 16.4 points over the past 10 games.
Gilgeous-Alexander is scoring 31.1 points per game with 4.3 rebounds and 6.6 assists for the Thunder. Holmgren is averaging 16.0 points and 7.9 rebounds while shooting 61.1% over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Lakers: 6-4, averaging 103.6 points, 40.4 rebounds, 25.3 assists, 8.9 steals and 5.3 blocks per game while shooting 48.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 100.5 points per game.
Thunder: 8-2, averaging 118.5 points, 42.4 rebounds, 27.4 assists, 10.2 steals and 5.2 blocks per game while shooting 49.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 107.8 points.
INJURIES: Lakers: Luka Doncic: out (hamstring), Jarred Vanderbilt: day to day (finger).
Thunder: Jalen Williams: out (hamstring), Thomas Sorber: out for season (knee).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Detroit Pistons (60-22, first in the Eastern Conference) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (52-30, fourth in the Eastern Conference)
Cleveland; Saturday, 3 p.m. EDT
LINE: Cavaliers -4.5; over/under is 212.5
EASTERN CONFERENCE SECOND ROUND: Pistons lead series 2-0
BOTTOM LINE: The Detroit Pistons visit the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference second round with a 2-0 lead in the series. The Pistons won the last meeting 107-97 on Thursday, led by 25 points from Cade Cunningham. Donovan Mitchell led the Cavaliers with 31.
The Cavaliers are 33-19 in Eastern Conference games. Cleveland has a 2-5 record in games decided by less than 4 points.
The Pistons are 12-4 against the rest of their division. Detroit is fourth in the league scoring 18.0 fast break points per game led by Cunningham averaging 3.7.
The Cavaliers make 48.2% of their shots from the field this season, which is 3.9 percentage points higher than the Pistons have allowed to their opponents (44.3%). The Pistons average 117.8 points per game, 2.4 more than the 115.4 the Cavaliers allow to opponents.
TOP PERFORMERS: Mitchell is scoring 27.9 points per game with 4.5 rebounds and 5.7 assists for the Cavaliers. James Harden is averaging 17.6 points and 5.1 rebounds while shooting 42.3% over the past 10 games.
Cunningham is averaging 23.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 9.9 assists for the Pistons. Tobias Harris is averaging 21.6 points over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Cavaliers: 5-5, averaging 111.1 points, 44.3 rebounds, 22.4 assists, 8.0 steals and 4.8 blocks per game while shooting 47.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 110.6 points per game.
Pistons: 7-3, averaging 106.8 points, 46.4 rebounds, 22.8 assists, 8.6 steals and 8.0 blocks per game while shooting 45.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 100.3 points.
INJURIES: Cavaliers: Sam Merrill: day to day (hamstring).
Pistons: Kevin Huerter: day to day (adductor).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Instead, the Lakers fall to 0-2 in the series and move one step closer to potentially being swept by the defending champions.
The Lakers continue to miss point guard Luka Doncic, and his absence is apparent after the Lakers turned the ball over 20 times, trying to move the ball around and generate some offense. The Thunder were able to produce 26 points off the Lakers' turnovers.
Austin Reaves was responsible for five, while LeBron James and Marcus Smart each had three. Reaves did carry the offense, shooting 10-of-16 from the field for 31 points.
While the turnovers will likely be a topic of discussion internally, the Lakers remained vocal throughout and after the game about the fouls called by the officiating crew.
Coach JJ Redick was asked about the officials after the game and noted that James has only had five free-throw attempts over the first two games of the series.
“LeBron (receives) the worst whistle of any star player I’ve ever seen,” Redick told reporters after the game. “I've been with him for two years now, the smaller guys, because they can be theatrical, tend to get more fouls and guys built like LeBron, it’s hard for them.”
Austin Reaves and the Lakers just had a meeting with the refs after the game to share their frustration with them. pic.twitter.com/exHIVkrese
Redick also said the Thunder have "guys that foul on every possession," which he noted all good defenses do. Still, he was left frustrated by the lack of calls.
"They're hard enough to play. They're hard enough to play. You gotta be able to just call it if they foul, and they do foul," Redick said.
Reaves and James were seen postgame among a crowd near midcourt that consisted of other members of the Lakers and the officiating crew.
Reaves, in particular, was vocal with his displeasure.
"I felt like I was respectful to all of them all night," Reaves told reporters. "... And when we were doing the whole tip ball and they were switching spots, I wanted to get on the other side because they had a guy on the other side, was just trying to keep an advantage. And he turned around and yelled in my face. I just thought it was disrespectful."
James himself had very little to say about the referees after the game.
Q: JJ Redick was irate about the officials, how was that a factor in the runs OKC put together? LeBron James: “We’re down 2-0.” Q: Redick said you get the worst whistle of any superstar he’s seen, why do you think that is? LeBron: “I don’t know” pic.twitter.com/QyPwxUd9Td
The Lakers remained aggressive during the game, matching the pace of the Thunder as the teams exchanged respective scoring runs before Los Angeles took a one-point lead into the locker room at halftime.
OKC managed to pull away in the second half after a 32-14 run during the third quarter, all while the Thunder’s star player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, was not on the floor.
The Lakers have the opportunity to overcome all that happened in Game 2, when the series moves to Los Angeles for the next two games.
The Thunder remain in a good place as the franchise has not lost a best-of-7 series when leading 2-0. Oklahoma City also improved to 6-0 during this postseason, having swept the Phoenix Suns in the first round.
When is Game 3 between Lakers and Thunder?
The Lakers will host the Thunder on Saturday, May 9. The game will air on ESPN at 5:30 p.m. PT (8:30 p.m. ET).
OKLAHOMA CITY — Chet Holmgren and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander each scored 22 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Los Angeles Lakers 125-107 on Thursday night to take a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinal series.
Ajay Mitchell had 20 points and Jaren McCain added 18 for the defending champion Thunder, who improved to 6-0 in the playoffs. The Lakers will host Game 3 on Saturday.
The Lakers again were without scoring champion Luka Doncic, who is out indefinitely with a strained left hamstring. They also were missing forward Jarred Vanderbilt, the reserve forward who dislocated the pinkie finger on his right hand during the second quarter of Game 1. The Lakers also had three players finish with five fouls, limiting their aggressiveness late in the game.
Lakers guard Austin Reaves, who struggled with his shot in Game 1, scored 31 points on 10-for-16 shooting in Game 2. LeBron James, coming off a 27-point effort in Game 1, followed that up with 23.
With the Lakers up 63-61 early in the third quarter, Gilgeous-Alexander got tied up with Reaves and was called for his fourth foul. Upon review, it was upgraded to a flagrant 1 for Gilgeous-Alexander’s follow through. Oklahoma City’s Alex Caruso was called for a technical foul as the situation was being sorted out.
Gilgeous-Alexander left the game with the Lakers up 65-61, but the Thunder rallied and took control without him. On a fast break, Holmgren found a trailing Jaylin Williams, who hit a 3-pointer and was fouled. His free throw put the Thunder up 85-74.
The Thunder outscored the Lakers 32-15 while Gilgeous-Alexander was out in the third quarter to take a 93-80 lead into the fourth. The Lakers cut Oklahoma City’s lead to five in the fourth quarter before the Thunder pulled away again.
Thunder center Chet Holmgren, left, and Lakers guard Austin Reaves fight for a rebound in the first half of Game 2 on Thursday night in Oklahoma City. (Nate Billings / Associated Press)
But the Lakers are facing the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals and it is a chore that remains too heavy for Los Angeles.
Even with Reaves recovering to score 31 points on 10-for-16 shooting and handing out six assists and James collecting 23 points and six assists, the Lakers still lost Game 2 of the best-of-seven series, 125-107, Thursday night at Paycom Center.
The Lakers trail the series 2-0, with Game 3 back in Los Angeles at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday night.
The odds have now increased against the Lakers winning this series. In NBA history, only 34 teams have recovered from a 2-0 hole to win a best-of-seven series, while 431 teams have gone on to win the series.
The Lakers even did a very good job again on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, throwing double teams at him to hold the All-Star guard to 22 points.
Lakers forward LeBron James. left, tries to drive past Thunder guard Luguentz Dort during the first half of Game 2 on Tuesday night in Oklahoma City. (Nate Billings / Associated Press)
Chet Holmgren had another strong game with 22 points, nine rebounds, four steals and two blocks and Ajay Mitchell had 20 points for the Thunder.
The Lakers, who had a one-point lead at halftime, went down 13 points at the end of the third quarter, but a James three-pointer pulled them to within 95-89, forcing the Thunder to call a timeout with 8:57 left.
The Lakers even got to within five points in the fourth quarter, but a 10-2 run by the Thunder put L.A. in a 13-point hole with 5:53 left, this time forcing Lakers coach JJ Redick to call a timeout so his players could collect themselves.
The Lakers could not.
A big play was when Reaves took a charge against Gilgeous-Alexander with 10:34 left in the third quarter, which was his fourth foul. Gilgeous-Alexander was called for a flagrant foul on the play and Alex Caruso was called for a technical foul.
Reaves shot three free throws, making them all for a 66-61 Lakers lead.
Yet the Lakers were unable to maintain their quality of play against a Thunder team that just kept charging ahead even with Gilgeous-Alexander on the bench.
The Thunder finished the third on an 18-8 run to open a 93-80 lead.
One of the many keys for the Lakers was getting a productive Reaves. It was just his fourth game back after being out a month because of a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, and it showed. Reaves missed 13 of his 16 shots in Game 1 and all five of his three-pointers, and scored just eight points.
Reaves didn’t make any excuses for his poor play.
“He’s got a great sense of self-accountability to where, you know, he’s his own worst critic and he’s going to hold himself to a standard of how he wants to play,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “Had a great conversation with him yesterday and today. He’ll be good to go.”
Lakers forward Rui Hachimura, center, pulls up for a shot over Thunder center Chet Holmgren, left, during the first half of Game 2 on Thurday night. (Nate Billings / Associated Press)
Reaves scored 13 points in the first half while distributing the ball.
He missed his first two shots, but finished the first half five-for-nine shooting.
Along with James scoring 10 points and handing out five assists, Rui Hachimura scoring 11 and Marcus Smart adding eight while doing his part to slow down Gilgeous-Alexander, the Lakers opened a 58-57 lead at the half.
The Lakers sent defenders at Gilgeous-Alexander often, double-teaming the league most valuable player and forcing the other Thunder players to shoot the basketball in the first half.
Gilgeous-Alexander only took nine shots in the first half and made four.
The Thunder shot just 25% from three-point range in the first 24 minutes.
Note: Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt was downgraded out for Game 2 because of a dislocated right pinkie finger.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Chet Holmgren and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander each scored 22 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Los Angeles Lakers 125-107 on Thursday night to take a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinal series.
Ajay Mitchell had 20 points and Jaren McCain added 18 for the defending champion Thunder, who improved to 6-0 in the playoffs. The Lakers will host Game 3 on Saturday.
The Lakers again were without scoring champion Luka Doncic, who is out indefinitely with a strained left hamstring. They also were missing forward Jarred Vanderbilt, the reserve forward who dislocated the pinkie finger on his right hand during the second quarter of Game 1. The Lakers also had three players finish with five fouls, limiting their aggressiveness late in the game.
Lakers guard Austin Reaves, who struggled with his shot in Game 1, scored 31 points on 10-for-16 shooting in Game 2. LeBron James, coming off a 27-point effort in Game 1, followed that up with 23.
With the Lakers up 63-61 early in the third quarter, Gilgeous-Alexander got tied up with Reaves and was called for his fourth foul. Upon review, it was upgraded to a flagrant 1 for Gilgeous-Alexander’s follow through. Oklahoma City’s Alex Caruso was called for a technical foul as the situation was being sorted out.
Gilgeous-Alexander left the game with the Lakers up 65-61, but the Thunder rallied and took control without him. On a fast break, Holmgren found a trailing Jaylin Williams, who hit a 3-pointer and was fouled. His free throw put the Thunder up 85-74.
The Thunder outscored the Lakers 32-15 while Gilgeous-Alexander was out in the third quarter to take a 93-80 lead into the fourth. The Lakers cut Oklahoma City’s lead to five in the fourth quarter before the Thunder pulled away again.
PISTONS 107, CAVALIERS 97
DETROIT (AP) — Cade Cunningham had 25 points and 10 assists, Tobias Harris scored 21 points and Detroit beat Cleveland to take a 2-0 lead in their second-round series.
Game 3 is Saturday in Cleveland, where the Cavs were 4-0 in the first round against Toronto.
The top-seeded Pistons have won five straight games since Orlando put them on the brink of elimination in the first round.
Donovan Mitchell scored 31 points and Jarrett Allen had 22 points and seven rebounds, bouncing back from a poor performance in Game 1 for the fourth-seeded Cavs.
James Harden, though, missed 10 of 13 shots and was limited to 10 points. Harden had four turnovers, including one with 33 seconds left when the Cavs trailed by just six.
Cleveland’s Max Strus scored just three points after he had 19 in the series opener.
Detroit’s Duncan Robinson had 17 points, making 5 of 9 3-pointers, and Daniss Jenkins came off the bench to score 14 points, his third straight game in double figures.
May 7, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Alec Burleson (41) rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run during the fourth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
Matthew Liberatore gave the St. Louis Cardinals the strong start they needed to begin their west coast swing as his nasty curveball and a power surge from Alec Burleson made the difference in a victory over the San Diego Padres 2-1 late Thursday night.
Matthew Liberatore looked both shaky and nasty in the bottom of the first inning. After getting the first two outs, he walked Manny Machado. Fernando Tatis Jr. singled to left moving Machado to second and Xander Bogaerts singled to right scoring Machado and giving the Padres a 1-0 lead.
The St. Louis Cardinals bats were quiet until the top of the 4th inning when Alec Burleson turned on a Michael King pitch and jacked it over the right field wall with an impressive exit velocity of 111 mph tying the game 1-1.
After a 1st inning where he looked vulnerable, Matthew Liberatore shut the Padres down giving the Cardinals six strong innings only allowing the 1 earned run on only 3 hits with 6 strikeouts and 3 walks. Michael King was equally impressive for San Diego as he also pitched a solid six innings allowing only 1 hit, but that one hit was the one from Burleson that left the park.
The Cardinals would take the lead in the top of the 7th inning when Jordan Walker missed a home run by maybe a foot crushing a line drive off of the left field wall for a double. He then scored when Masyn Winn hit a ball down the right field line to a helpless-looking Nick Castellanos who stumbled toward the ball as it bounced past him and continued to the right field wall as Walker scored and Winn cruised into third base giving St. Louis a 2-1 lead.
George Soriano entered the game in the bottom of the 7th inning giving up an infield single to Tatis Jr, but he was thrown out by Pedro Pagés even though the tag by JJ Wetherholt was unsuccessfully challenged by the Padres. That caught stealing muted any potential Padres threat in the 7th inning.
The bottom of the 8th inning belonged to JoJo Romero. He had no problems with Ty France, Nick Castellanos or Rodolpho Duran shutting the Padres down 1-2-3. That helped the Cardinals from having to deal with super-reliever Mason Miller as San Diego brought in Jason Adam to handle the top of the 9th inning as they still trailed 2-1. He was greeted by Jordan Walker who hit a laser shot into left center that he turned into a hustle double. Nolan Gorman then worked Adam for a 9-pitch walk. Yes, miracles do happen. Unfortunately, Masyn Winn was unable to get a sufficient bunt down as the Padres were able to get the force at third base for the first out. Nathan Church hit a weak fly to left field for out number 2 with neither runner being able to advance. Pedro Pagés was retired for the final out shutting down the Cardinals 8th inning threat.
Riley O’Brien came in to close out the Padres in the bottom of the 9th inning. He was tasked with facing the top of the San Diego lineup. He quickly retired Merrill on a weak groundout to JJ Wetherholt. Miguel Andujar struck out and failed to use the ABS challenge that probably wouldn’t have saved him anyway. Manny Machado grounded out to Masyn Winn to end the game giving the Cardinals a tight victory.
The St. Louis Cardinals will send Michael McGreevy to the mound for Friday night’s contest against Griffin Canning. First pitch is scheduled for 8:45pm central time and will be an Apple TV exclusive so finding a free 7-day trial is your friend.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - MAY 7: Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles the ball during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder during Round Two Game Two of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 7, 2026 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Lakers once again saw a tight game turn into a double-digit loss on Thursday. LA held a lead midway through the third but again saw the Thunder pull away in the fourth to win by double digits, 125-107.
The purple and gold had one of its best quarters of the postseason in the second, outscoring OKC 35-30 to lead by one at the half. They held the lead through the early stages of the second half before the Thunder took over and never looked back.
Nineteen LA turnovers turned into 26 OKC points while the Thunder also had 17 second-chance points and 48 points off the bench.
LA missed their first two shot attempts from behind the arc to start. OKC went up by as much as seven until Rui Hachimura converted on a midrange jumper to get the Lakers on the board.
Isaiah Hartenstein was off to a hot start for the Thunder with six points.
Hachimura was leading Los Angeles with five points, while LeBron was close behind with four. The Lakers surged on a 7-0 scoring run to tie the game. OKC had a quick response with their own 11-0 run.
Los Angeles was now shooting 33% from the field.
Jaxson Hayes and LeBron stopped the bleeding with back-to-back shots in the paint. Hachimura then splashed a triple that cut the deficit to four at the end of the first.
Hachimura improved his all-time playoff best 3-point % after a 2 for 3 1st Q, including a buzzer-beater that capped the second 7-0 run of the period for LA.
Jared McCain converted on a midrange jumper to open the second period. Ajay Mitchell provided a massive spark for the Thunder as he was up to nine points. Marcus Smart and Austin Reaves both knocked down much-needed 3-pointers for LA.
At the 7:50 mark, Oklahoma City was up by five.
Mitchell poured in four more points before he was subbed out. Reaves converted on his second three-point play in this half. He was the first player on the Lakers in double figures with 13, a much better showing and effort than Game 1.
Smart put LA up by one with four minutes left in the half.
Los Angeles continued playing well, with Luke Kennard and Hachimura both draining threes. With 2:13 now left in the half, the Lakers were nursing a tiny lead. Both teams spent the last minute of the half exchanging the lead, with the purple and gold heading into the locker room up one.
LA trailed 27-16 with 1:26 left in the 1st Q, but rallied with a 7-0 run to close the period, and outscored the Thunder 35-30 in the 2nd Q to take a 58-57 lead into halftime.
Reaves (13), Hachimura (11) and LeBron (10) are in double figures, with LeBron adding 5 assists.
Chet Holmgren opened the second half with a jumper in the paint for OKC. Hachimura then continued his ridiculous shooting with another triple. Reaves scored on a midrange jumper before being fouled on the other end by SGA. The play was upgraded to a flagrant one along with Alex Caruso receiving a technical, so Reaves made three free throws in a row to give LA a five-point lead.
Reaves responded with a triple on the other end. The Thunder then scored four of the easiest points to make it a one-point OKC deficit. Cason Wallace converted on two free throws to put Oklahoma up by one.
OKC was up by seven at the 4:04 mark.
Everything was going in the way of the defending champs as they were on an extended 23-5 scoring run to give themselves a double-digit lead. The Thunder took full control, leading by 13 heading into the fourth.
93-80 Thunder are back in front after three quarters of play. They obliterated the Lakers while SGA sat on the bench. Big plays from Jared McCain and Jaylin Williams have put the LA down by double figures entering the final frame.
After a pair of turnovers, Hachimura opened LA’s scoring with his signature midrange jumper. Los Angeles cut the deficit to six with a 7-0 run, with LeBron scoring five points.
The Thunder were forced to call a timeout.
Out of the break, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored on a layup. The Lakers were keeping close, but their turnover count was now at 19. With seven minutes left, it was an eight-point deficit for Los Angeles.
At the 5:53 mark, the Thunder were up by double figures after an 8-0 run.
The lead continued to grow as LA completely ran out of steam and didn’t have enough offense to keep it close. The Lakers waved the white flag with 2:14 left and down 17.
Key Player Stats
LeBron finished with 23 points and six assists. Reaves ended with 31 points and six assists. Hachimura notched 16 points, shooting an impressive 6-10 from the field and 4-7 from three.
Smart logged 14 points with five assists and four rebounds. Kennard had 10 points, Hayes scored six points to go with his three rebounds and two assists.
Game 3 will be on Saturday against the Oklahoma City Thunder at 5:30 PM PT.
One could argue that Sunday marks one of the biggest days the Jazz have seen in a long time, easily the biggest since the Jazz were in a very similar situation a year ago. While the 2026 NBA Draft has recently lost a lot of its depth, it remains incredibly strong at the top, and anyone lucky enough to select in the top four will be adding a potential franchise-changing talent. Last season the Jazz had the worst record in the association and held a 52.1% chance at a top four pick and a 14% chance at the number one pick. As we all know, the worst-case scenario came as the Jazz fell to the fifth pick before selecting Ace Bailey. This season the Jazz finished tied for the fourth-worst record with the Sacramento Kings, requiring a coin flip to decide who gets the tiebreaker. Luckily the Jazz won that coin flip, but what does that mean for the odds at each pick?
The Jazz have a 45.2% chance at a top four pick and an 11.5% chance at the number one pick, but it goes a little deeper than that. The worst-case scenario last year was falling to five. This year the worst-case scenario would be falling to eight, but that is very unlikely. Compared to last year, there was about a 48% chance we’d be selecting fifth. The odds for each pick are listed below.
First-11.5%
Second-11.4%
Third-11.2%
Fourth-11%
Fifth-7.5%
Sixth-27.1%
Seventh-17.9%
Eighth-2.4%
How do those odds make you feel? Hopeful? Nervous? Scared? Excited? The Jazz have NEVER moved up in the lottery, but there’s always a first time for everything. While the sixth and seventh positions are the two highest probabilities by quite a large margin, there’s still a 55% chance we won’t be picking seventh or eighth! So here’s to hoping Sunday is an amazing day for the Jazz and their future.
Everyone wear your lucky shirt on Sunday, and if that’s the same shirt you wore last year… get a new lucky shirt. If you have any superstitions, listen to them. Do anything you can to give the Jazz that edge on Sunday! The NBA Draft Lottery is this Sunday at 1:00 p.m. Mountain Time on ABC.
May 4, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves left fielder Eli White (36) is tagged out by Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts (50) in the eighth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images
The Atlanta Braves are coming off a series loss to the Seattle Mariners and have a challenging weekend ahead. After losing their first series of the season, the West Coast road trip has moved on to Los Angeles, where the Braves take on the Dodgers in a three-game set.
Chris Sale, Spencer Strider, and Bryce Elder are each expected to start against a talented LA pitching staff. The Braves are tied for the best record in the league with 26 wins and 12 losses, while the Dodgers enter play with a 23-14 record. Fortunately, the Braves are 14-6 on the road, and this could shape up to be a great series should Atlanta’s performance remain consistent.
The series gets underway Friday night at 10:10 ET.
More Braves News:
With an abundance of moving parts in the starting rotation, we discuss what the Atlanta pitching staff looks like in the near future.
Tate Southisene continues his strong start with the Augusta GreenJackets after driving in three on Wednesday. More in the minor league recap.
Chicago Cubs left-hander Matthew Boyd will undergo meniscus surgery and is expected to miss at least a month. Fortunately, the club does not expect a major meniscus repair.
From the Feed:
After clearing waivers and being outrighted to Triple-A Gwinnett, the Carlos Carrasco saga continues.
They improved to 7-0 in the 2026 NHL playoffs with a 4-1 road victory against the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday, May 7. And in doing so, they showed why they are so formidable.
A turning point occurred in the second period with the game tied 1-1. Taylor Hall rocked Philadelphia's Travis Sanheim into the boards.
"I was in a vulnerable spot and he decides to finish his check and it just felt like his hands drove my head right through the wall," Sanheim said. "I thought it was a pretty dirty play."
Hall was called for a five-minute major in order to trigger a review. A two-minute penalty was issued instead.
The Flyers weren't happy, but they still had a power play in order to break a tie. But 11 seconds later, it was the Hurricanes who broke the tie when Carolina forced a turnover and Jordan Staal fed defenseman Jalen Chatfield for a short-handed goal.
Here's why the Hurricanes are unbeaten in the playoffs:
They're hard to play against
Carolina plays an aggressive style that frustrates opponents. The 'Canes never trailed in the opening sweep of the Ottawa Senators and added to that in Game 1 against the Flyers.
But Philadelphia scored two quick goals in Game 2. No problem. The Hurricanes kept chipping away, tied the game and won 3-2 in overtime.
Philadelphia had a 5-on-3 power play in Game 3 and wasn't able to muster much.
Hurricanes have scoring depth
Thursday was Staal's night with a goal and an assist. It was his first goal of these playoffs.
The Hurricanes have more than enough scoring to go around.
Logan Stankoven is tied for the playoff goal lead with six. Hall has nine points and Jackson Blake has eight. Nikolaj Ehlers has goals in each of the past two games. They're unbeaten despite Andrei Svechnikov not scoring until Thursday.
Frederik Andersen is strong in net
Andersen had a regular season to forget with a 3.05 goals-against average and .874 save percentage. Brandon Bussi supplanted him at one point.
But coach Rod Brind'Amour went with the veteran Andersen in the playoffs, and it has paid off. Andersen has two shutouts and has given up two or fewer goals in each game. He's just the third goalie in the last 30 years to open 7-0.
The Flyers are banged up with Owen Tippett and Noah Cates unable to play. But unless the Flyers can figure out the Hurricanes, they, like the Senators, will be swept.
Then it comes down to whether the Hurricanes and Brind'Amour can get past the conference finals. The way they're playing, it's possible.
May 7, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Carolina Hurricanes center Jordan Staal (11) scores a goal against Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar (80) during the first period in game three of the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
The Carolina Hurricanes extended their winning ways with a 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night in the Xfinity Mobil Arena.
The Canes remain undefeated in postseason play and now lead this second round series, 3-0. They are 7-0 overall in these playoffs.
Going back to the regular season, they have won 16 of their last 18 games.
Frederik Andersen earned another win in goal and made 18 saves out of 19 shots.
The Flyers came out fired up and had several scoring chances early, but failed to convert. They hit the post a couple of times and the other times Andersen and the Carolina defense were both equal to the task.
Late in the period, Jordan Staal took a puck off the boards during a powerplay and tucked it past goalie, Dan Vladar to start off the scoring.
Trevor Zegras tied it up early in the second but that would be the only time they could get one past Andersen.
During a shorthanded opportunity a bit later in the period, Staal fed a wide open Jalen Chatfield who made no mistake as he gave the Canes a 2-1 lead.
At 3:52 into the third period, Andrei Svechnikov rifled in a one-timer to give Carolina a 3-1 lead. It was another powerplay goal for the Canes, who went 2-9 on the night.
K’Andre Miller and Jordan Martinook then got the puck to a streaking Nikolaj Ehlers and “Fly” broke in alone and roofed in a beautiful goal to virtually put the game out of reach.
Carolina’s balanced scoring made a statement in this game.
On the other side, the penalty kill was perfect, even during over a minute of a 5-3, disadvantage. This was due to a poor sportsmanship call on coach Rod Brind’Amour.
Obviously it was far from a perfect game but the Hurricanes did what they had to do for the win. It was another penalty filled fiasco at times. The Canes were called for 10 penalties while the Flyers were called for 15, but six of them were called with less than three minutes left in the game when the home team intentionally tried to rough up the Canes.
Carolina will look for another sweep as they face the Flyers for game four on Saturday.
Mar 13, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Chicago Cubs outfielder Kane Kepley against the Chicago White Sox during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Right-handed pitcher Tyler Ferguson was acquired from the Athletics and sent to Triple-A Iowa.
Right-hander Kenten Egbert was promoted from High-A South Bend to Iowa.
Iowa catcher Casey Opitz was activated off the Development List.
Connor Noland gave the I-Cubs a solid start, going five innings and giving up two runs on four hits. Noland did walk five batters while striking out five. One of the five walks issued was intentional.
Paul Campbell pitched the other four innings and got the loss after he gave up back-to-back solo home runs in the eighth inning. Campbell’s final line was two runs on three hits over four innings. He struck out four and walked no one.
Iowa managed just five singles in this one. First baseman BJ Murray was 1 for 3 with a walk.
A nice play on defense by second baseman Scott Kingery.
Grant Kipp had an impressive start, allowing just one run on three hits over five innings. Kipp struck out eight and walked no one.
Jace Beck relieved Kipp and took the loss after he allowed one unearned run on one hit over two innings. Beck struck out four and walked one.
The Smokies only run came on a home run by first baseman Owen Ayers in the bottom of the second inning. It was Ayers’ ninth home run this year and third for Knoxville.
Ayers was 1 for 4.
Here’s the Ayers home run.
You don’t see a lot of beautiful swings from the right side, but Owen Ayers sure does have one pic.twitter.com/DXBDxedLtc
Eli Jerzembeck’s High-A debut went about as well as the Cubs could have hoped for. Jerzembeck pitched three scoreless innings and gave up just one hit. He walked two, hit two and struck out three.
I don’t know if Jerzembeck would have be taken out anyways after 51 pitches, but the game was delayed 92 minutes by rain after three innings. Alfredo Romero took over when the rain stopped and he got the win. He gave up two runs on three hits over four innings. Romero struck out two, walked two and hit one batter.
South Bend scored nine runs on just seven hits and none of them were home runs. First baseman Cole Mathis had one of the two doubles, which drove home two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Mathis was 1 for 4.
Left fielder Kane Kepley went 2 for 4 with a walk and an RBI double in the sixth inning. Kepley also stole one base.
Center fielder Christian Olivo was 2 for 4. He scored twice and drove in two runners.
Shortstop Ty Southisene hit a two-run single in the fifth. He was 1 for 4 with a walk and a stolen base. He also scored once.
Mason McGwire continued his strong start to the season by allowing three runs on six hits over four innings. Only one of the three runs McGwire allowed was earned. Most impressively, he struck out seven and walked just one.
Braylon Myers relieved McGwire and got the win. Myers gave up four runs on four hits over three innings. Myers struck out four.
Riely Hunsaker got his first career save by retiring all six batters over the final two innings. Hunsaker struck out one.
Catcher Logan Poteet hit a solo home run in the fourth, his fifth on the year. Poteet was 2 for 3 with a walk and two runs scored.
Center fielder Alexey Lumpuy clubbed a two-run home run in the sixth. Lumpuy was 1 for 5.
The Pelicans took the lead after they scored six runs in the eighth inning. They took the lead when shortstop Alexis Hernandez hit a two-run single in that inning. He was 2 for 5 with a stolen base.
Second baseman Jose Escobar was 2 for 3 with two walks. He scored one run.
PHILADELPHIA — Jordan Staal and Andrei Svechnikov scored on the power play and Jalen Chatfield added a short-handed goal, keying a special teams effort that helped the Carolina Hurricanes win their seventh straight playoff game, 4-1 over the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 3 on Thursday night.
The Hurricanes — who outshot the Flyers 30-19 —can complete their second straight postseason series sweep in Game 4 on Saturday in Philadelphia.
The Hurricanes — coming off a Game 1 shutout and a Game 2 overtime thriller — again rode the hot hand of Frederik Andersen in net to move to the brink of a sweep.
The Flyers, the last team in the East to clinch a playoff spot who then beat Pittsburgh in the first round, had a few sensational early looks at the net but again failed to finish and again failed on the power play. They had the worst power-play efficiency (15.7%) in the NHL this season and did not score with the man advantage in Game 3.
To make it worse, Chatfield scored to make it 2-1 in the second just 11 seconds into the Flyers’ power play with Taylor Hall in the box for boarding.
The Flyers hit Andersen with 15 shots during 19 minutes of overtime in Game 2 and whiffed on their chance at the win — and perhaps their best shot at making this a competitive series — when Travis Konecny missed a makeable look on a breakaway.
Konecny fired another clean look minutes into Game 3, only for Andersen to knock it away with his pads. Porter Martone, the Flyers’ teen sensation, rang the right side of the post moments later and two great chances at goals meant nothing on the scoreboard.
The Flyers still had a chance on the power play but were stymied and fell at that point to 1 for 12 in the series and 3 for 29 in nine playoff games.
The Hurricanes are too playoff tested, too veteran savvy to not capitalize on Philadelphia’s slow start.
Staal punched in a rebound in the first period for the 1-0 lead.
Trevor Zegras, a 26-goal scorer held without a point the previous four games, tied the game for the Flyers from one knee in the second period.
That was it for the Flyers. They went 0 for 5 on the power play while the Hurricanes were 2 of 7.
Svechnikov and Nikolaj Ehlers scored in the third period, the latter of which sent Flyers fans headed toward the exits.
NHL playoff history is still against the Flyers. Only four teams that trailed 3-0 in a seven-game series have come all the way back to win — the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs, 1980 New York Islanders, 2010 Flyers and 2014 Los Angeles Kings.
