England captain Ben Stokes has dismissed suggestions of a collapse in his relationship with coach Brendon McCullum, although not everyone is convinced that is the case.
Astros vs Rockies Game Thread: Game 18, 4/14/2026
The Astros (6-11) return home tonight to begin a 3-game series vs. the Colorado Rockies (6-10) as they seek to end an 8-game slide.
LHP Colton Gordon will make his first start of the season as he takes on Rockies RHP Michael Lorenzen.
TONIGHT’S ASTROS STARTER: LHP Colton Gordon will make his first start of the season for the Astros tonight…Gordon began the 2026 season with Triple A Sugar Land, where he was 1-1 with a 1.76 ERA (3ER/15.1IP) in three starts while posting an 0.98 WHIP. His last start was on April 8 vs. Ta-
coma (5.1 IP, 0 ER).
Gordon, who was the Astros 8th pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, made his ML debut last season, appearing in 20 games (14 GS) for the Astros (6-4, 5.34 ERA)as a result of a rash of injuries, Gordon finished T-3rd on the Astros staff in both starts (14) and innings pitched (86.0).
He recorded his 1st ML win on June 6 at CLE (5 IP, 5H, 0 R, 5 SO). He was a member of Team Israel in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
NEED A WIN: The Astros need a win to snap an 8-game losing streak, which is their longest since ending the 2013 season with a 15-game losing streak (Sept. 14-29).
VS. THE ROCKIES: The Astros were swept by the Rockies last week in a 3-game series at Coors Field (April 6-9). HOU was 4-2 vs. COL in 2025 and has a 110-90 record vs. the Rockies all-time.
ROCKING THE ROCKIES: Christian Walker has enjoyed facing the Rockies throughout his career, posting a .330 avg. (120×364) vs. them with 28 HR and 75 RBI with a 1.009 OPS. His career avg., RBI and OPS vs. COL are his best vs. any club (min. 10g) while his 28 HR are 2nd to his 29 HR vs. the Dodgers.
Walker was 5×13 (.385) with a HR in his three games at Coors Field last week.
HOME-COOKIN: Tonight is the first game of a 6-game homestand for the Astros. On the stand, HOU will host COL (Mon-Wed.) and STL (Fri.-Sun.), respectively. The Astros enter tonight’s game on a 5-game home winning streak. HOU is 5-2 overall at Daikin Park in 2026.
REMEMBERING PHIL: Prior to tonight’s game, the Astros will play a tribute video followed by a
moment of silence for former player/manager Phil Garner. Sadly, Garner passed away over the weekend after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.
As manager in 2005, Garner led the Astros to their first World Series appearance, famously rallying that club from a 15-30 start after 45 games.
ROSTER MOVE: The Astros have added RHP Spencer Arrighetti to the Taxi Squad.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Tuesday, April 14, 7:10 p.m. CST
Location: Daikin Park, Houston, TX
TV: Space City Home Network
Streaming: SCHN+
Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
Brock Stewart begins rehab assignment in Class-A Ontario
LOS ANGELES — If the nine Dodgers pitchers on the injured list, Brock Stewart is the closest one to returning to the majors. But up first for the veteran right-hander is a minor league rehab assignment, which starts Tuesday night for the Class-A Ontario Tower Buzzers, about 42 miles east of Dodger Stadium.
Stewart had right shoulder debridement surgery last September 25, after pitching only four games for Los Angeles since getting acquired from the Minnesota Twins at the trade deadline on July 31. He began the season on the 15-day injured list.
Stewart resumed throwing late in spring training, and threw a simulated game at Dodger Stadium on March 27, during the first homestand of the season, before continuing to rehab at Camelback Ranch in Arizona. Pitchers are allowed up to 30 days on a minor league rehab assignment, and Stewart will probably need the majority of that time to build back up a number of games before getting activated.
“You’re sort of looking at a spring training, and how many outings a reliever takes,” manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday, “That’s probably what it’s going to take.”
A few veterans who got off to late starts in Cactus League play during spring training might have something close to the template Stewart might follow on his rehab assignment. Tanner Scott’s first game in camp was February 28, and he pitched 10 games in 24 days. Blake Treinen’s first game was February 26, and he pitched nine games in 25 days.
As for whom Stewart might replace in the Dodgers bullpen, there’s still plenty of time to work that out. Will Klein (1.17 ERA, 2.02 xERA in 7 2/3 innings) and Edgardo Henriquez (5.40 ERA, 3.71 xERA in five innings) have done pretty well but have also pitched in the lowest-leverage innings, on average, relative to the rest of the relief corps. Ben Casparius was pitching in nearly league-average leverage before getting placed on the injured list on Monday, with Kyle Hurt called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City.
“When he gets closer, certainly that will be a conversation. I hope we have that, it means everyone is healthy and then hopefully it’s a tough conversation,” Roberts said. “With [Stewart] being out, with other guys being out, it’s a good opportunity to see some guys. I’m happy Kyle Hurt is here, and obviously we get a longer look at Edgardo and guys like that.”
Longtime Canucks Rival Anže Kopitar Scheduled To Play Final Game At Rogers Arena On Tuesday Night
Few players in NHL history have had as long a career as Anže Kopitar. The Los Angeles Kings captain made his debut during the 2006-07 season and has since skated in over 1,500 regular-season games. During that time, he has won multiple Stanley Cups and a few NHL Awards, while also being a significant pain for the Vancouver Canucks.
Of Kopitar's 1,519 regular-season games, 73 have come against the Canucks. In those games, he has recorded 62 points and picked up five game-winners. Kopitar was also part of the Kings team that upset Vancouver in the 2012 playoffs, which is the same year he would go on to capture his first Stanley Cup.
"He's gifted," said Adam Foote ahead of Kopitar's final game against the Canucks on Tuesday. "He's a true pro. A big, heavy player, consistent. That's what I've talked about, the process. He just comes to work every day, and you do it and grind, and things fall into place for you. That's what a pro does. He was able to win a cup leading that way, and he's been consistent, and that's why he's played the 1500. He takes care of his body. It's no fluke. He put the work in."
One player who has faced off against Kopitar plenty in his career is defenceman Marcus Pettersson. The two have battled 17 times in the regular season, with Kopitar holding a 10-2-5 record against Pettersson. At morning skate on Tuesday, Pettersson took some time to talk about what made Kopitar such a difficult player to match up against.
"Yeah, it's been a huge honour, said Pettersson. "He's one of those guys, where anybody you talk to throughout the league respects him and loves what he brings to the game. And he's got a reputation around him for being one of the best people in the league, too. I know some of the guys in their team, like (Adrian) Kempe, played a couple of worlds with him and stuff like that. And just to be able to talk to him, and every time you bring his name up, it's been spoken about in such a high regard. Whether it's as a person or as a player. I was actually fortunate enough to see him during, I think it was a 2013 lockout when he was in Sweden playing. Saw him one time there. And yeah, just the poise that he has. The heart that he brings on the ice, and the leadership that he exemplifies, is something I think everybody in this league can try and follow. Huge congrats to him, and would be happy to see him go for another long run."
Vancouver's final home game of the season is scheduled for Tuesday night. While the Canucks are locked into their standings position, Los Angeles is fighting for playoff positioning. Game time at Rogers Arena is scheduled for 7:00 pm PT.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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Kentucky's Jayden Quaintance declares for 2026 NBA draft: Latest mock projection
NBA general managers and scouts are heading home from the 2026 men's NCAA Tournament with plenty to think about after three weeks of incredible action on the court. Now they have to figure out which March Madness performances are indicators of future greatness and which are more of a mirage.
The 2026 NBA draft is expected to take place in late June. In USA TODAY's latest mock draft , Kentucky's Jayden Quaintance is expected to go in the first round after declaring on Tuesday. Here's how USA TODAY currently projects the Forward's draft night will play out.
Our draft order is based on ESPN's projected records and factors in trades, including swaps and protections.
Jayden Quaintance 2026 NBA Draft prediction: Pick No. 17 overall, Charlotte Hornets (via Suns)
Kalbrosky's Analysis:
Jayden Quaintance recorded just one start during his sophomore campaign as he recovered from a torn ACL, meniscus and fractured knee. The big man is still one of the youngest players in this class, but he has shown flashes during his time at Arizona State and Kentucky. When healthy, he is arguably the most talented defender in this draft class and could help a team that desperately needs frontcourt help, like the Hornets. But health may cause some concern for evaluators.
See USA TODAY's full mock draft 10.0 here
Jayden Quaintance player profile
(all stats as of April 8)
- Position: Forward
- Current Team: Kentucky
- 5 points per game
- 5 rebounds per game
- 0.5 assists per game
- 57.1 field goal percentage
- 0.0 three-point field goal percentage
Charlotte Hornets 2026 projected draft picks
- No. 14 and No. 17 (via PHX)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jayden Quaintance NBA mock draft projection: Where Kentucky star is expected to land after March Madness
How Do The Los Angeles Kings Match Up Against The Colorado Avalanche?
The good news for the Los Angeles Kings is that they clinched a playoff spot following their win against the Seattle Kraken on Monday. That secured their ticket to the post-season for the fifth straight year, despite a far-below-average start to the campaign.
The bad news is that they are in line to play against the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the playoffs if L.A.'s position in the standings doesn't change.
Colorado has already claimed the Presidents' Trophy as the top team in the regular season, and is two wins away from this being the most successful regular season in the Avalanche franchise history.
So, with how impressive and dominant the Avs have been all season long, how do the Kings match up against the league leaders?
This also doesn't help their case, but the Kings lost all three meetings against the Avalanche during the season. The last game on March 2 ended 4-2 in favor of Colorado.
In terms of the playoffs, the last time the Kings played against the Avalanche was in the 2001 post-season. The two teams met in the Western Conference semifinals, and Colorado got the best of Los Angeles, taking the series 4-3.
The Avalanche went on to win the Stanley Cup for the second time in franchise history.
Looking at the Avs of this year, they could very well go on to win another Cup. The power and skill of Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Martin Necas, Devon Toews, Brock Nelson, Nazem Kadri, and others is more than the Kings can handle on paper.
King's Playoff Berth Means Maple Leafs Get Second-Rounder From Laughton DealThe Los Angeles Kings have clinched a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and with that, the Toronto Maple Leafs will receive a second round pick from the Scott Laughton trade.Los Angeles isn't going to beat Colorado player-for-player in terms of talent, and interim head coach D.J. Smith knows that.
However, in the playoffs, there's more to each contest than beating your opponent in a skills competition. And that's where the light can shine on the Kings.
Since coach Jim Hiller was replaced by Smith, the Kings have been one of the most physical teams in the league. From March 1, Los Angeles has the fifth-most hits at 525 in 22 games.
Has D.J. Smith Shown Enough To Become The Kings' Permanent Bench Boss?From now until the end of this season, what does Los Angeles Kings interim head coach D.J. Smith need to do in order to earn the full-time position?Hitting isn't everything, but when a team is physically imposing on the opposition and heavy on the forecheck, like the Kings have been since Smith stepped in, that can wear on the Avalanche's stars.
Another aspect in which the Kings can hang around with the Avalanche is their ability to shut down their opposition.
In addition to the Kings being fourth in the NHL in fewest goals against, they have the fifth-most shutouts this season with six on the year. Though the Avalanche are slightly above them in those categories, too, it's key that the Kings print out the details on how to stop Colorado's stars.
After all, MacKinnon alone is about to claim the Rocket Richard Trophy as the NHL's leading goal scorer, in the hunt for the Art Ross, and very well could take home the Hart Trophy as the league's MVP.
NHL Playoffs And Awards Watch: What's Still Up For GrabsThe NHL's goal-scoring title, home-ice advantage and a chance to avoid the Colorado Avalanche in the first round are part of what's still up for grabs. Here are the breakdowns.Even Necas is tied for seventh in scoring and is just one point away from notching his first career 100-point campaign.
And for Makar, not much needs to be said about how dynamic and how much of a revelation he's been among defensemen in the NHL.
Of course, the Avalanche are heavy favorites in this series if there is no change in the NHL's seeding from now to the end of the week.
But as they say about the Stanley Cup playoffs, you just need to get in. After all, the Kings did win the Stanley Cup in 2012 as the eighth seed in the Western Conference, a comparison to this year's team.
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Baylor's Cameron Carr declares for 2026 NBA draft: Latest mock draft projection
NBA general managers and scouts are heading home from the 2026 men's NCAA Tournament with plenty to think about after three weeks of incredible action on the court. Now they have to figure out which March Madness performances are indicators of future greatness and which are more of a mirage.
The 2026 NBA draft is expected to take place in late June. In USA TODAY's latest mock draft, Baylor's Cameron Carr is expected to go in the first round after declaring on Tuesday. Here's how USA TODAY currently projects the Guard's draft night will play out.
Our draft order is based on Tankathon.com and factors in trades, including swaps and protections.
Cameron Carr 2026 NBA Draft prediction: Pick No. 27 overall, Boston Celtics
Kalbrosky's Analysis:
One of the players who improved his draft stock the most this season was Baylor junior Cameron Carr. The All-Big 12 wing brings athleticism and shooting and, per Bart Torvik, he was the only player to make at least 40 field goals that were dunks and more than 60 field goals that were 3-pointers this season. Baylor outscored opponents by an additional 28.5 points per 100 possessions when he was on the floor relative to when he was not, via CBB Analytics, which ranked as the fourth-most of any high-major player in the NCAA.
See USA TODAY's full mock draft 10.0 here
Cameron Carr player profile
(all stats as of April 8)
- Position: Guard
- Current Team: Baylor
- 19.2 points per game
- 5.5 rebounds per game
- 2.7 assists per game
- 51.0 field goal percentage
- 39.4 three-point field goal percentage
Boston Celtics 2026 projected draft picks
- No. 27 and No. 40 (via MIL)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cameron Carr NBA mock draft projection: Where Baylor star is expected to land
Game Discussion for St. Louis Cardinals vs Cleveland Guardians Tuesday
The St. Louis Cardinals will try again Tuesday as they will take their 8-8 .500 record up against the Cleveland Guardians at Busch Stadium. According to MLB.com, Michael McGreevy will take his 1-1, 2.16 ERA to the mound for the Cardinals while the Guardians will have Joey Cantillo make the start. He’s 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA so far this season.
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Washington's Hannes Steinbach declares for 2026 NBA draft: Latest mock draft projection
NBA general managers and scouts are heading home from the 2026 men's NCAA Tournament with plenty to think about after three weeks of incredible action on the court. Now they have to figure out which March Madness performances are indicators of future greatness and which are more of a mirage.
The 2026 NBA draft is expected to take place in late June. In USA TODAY's latest mock draft, Washington's Hannes Steinbach is expected to go in the first round after declaring his intention to turn pro on Tuesday. Here's how USA TODAY currently projects the Forward's draft night will play out.
Our draft order is based on Tankathon.com and factors in trades, including swaps and protections.
Hannes Steinbach 2026 NBA Draft prediction: Pick No. 19 overall, San Antonio Spurs (via Hawks)
Kalbrosky's Analysis:
German big man Hannes Steinbach is a name worth watching in the 2026 NBA Draft. While his team missed the tournament, the All-Big Ten post is an instinctive rebounder with great hands, including an absurd 24 rebounds against USC on March 4. Additionally, the center is one of the more prolific pick-and-roll finishers in college basketball. He shined during the FIBA U19 World Cup, too, and scouts love that he is a smart basketball player who can make great reads. Steinbach could make an excellent backup to Victor Wembanyama.
See USA TODAY's full mock draft 10.0 here
Hannes Steinbach player profile
(all stats as of April 8)
- Position: Forward
- Current Team: Washington
- 18.5 points per game
- 11.8 rebounds per game
- 1.6 assists per game
- 57.7 field goal percentage
- 34.0 three-point field goal percentage
San Antonio Spurs 2026 projected draft picks
- No. 19 (via ATL), No. 35 (via UTA), No. 42 (via POR) and No. 44 (via MIA)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hannes Steinbach NBA mock draft projection: Where Washington star is expected to land after March Madness
NBA Playoffs: Expert predictions and picks from around the internet
The NBA Play-In Tournament begins Tuesday, April 14, which means we're only a few days away from the playoffs. While many fans might expect a predictable postseason, with the usual suspects like the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Denver Nuggets, and Oklahoma City Thunder competing for the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
But the NBA Playoffs are no strangers to surprises. Just last year, we saw the Indiana Pacers reach the finals as a 5-seed, nearly taking down the heavily favored Thunder for the title. No one expected that. We've seen mutliple play-in teams reach their conference championships as well. Even the 2023 Miami Heat reached the finals despite entering the postseason as the Eastern Conference's No. 8 seed.
That is to say that the NBA playoffs aren't as predictable as they may seem. That's why several experts have different opinions on what will happen. Here's a quick breakdown of numerous predictions from around the internet:
NBA Playoff predictions
Zach Kram, ESPN: Spurs defeat Thunder, win Finals
Kram writes, "Oklahoma City and San Antonio could spark a decade-long rivalry this spring, after the Spurs beat the reigning champs in four out of five meetings this season. Oklahoma City has crucial playoff experience and the best clutch scorer in the NBA on its side. But San Antonio presents real matchup problems for the champs because of its athleticism, guard play and game-changing force at center."
He continues, "It's possible that Wembanyama can't handle many more minutes because of his aggressive style of play. He looked noticeably fatigued when he reached 40 minutes in San Antonio's thrilling overtime loss in Denver this month. But Wembanyama doesn't need to play 40 minutes at altitude every game in the playoffs, and he successfully exceeded 35 minutes 10 times this season. In those games, he averaged 30.7 points, 14.1 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 4.0 blocks while making 44% of his 7.3 3-point attempts and 86% of his 9.6 free throw attempts. That's not evidence of a consistent problem playing big minutes; if anything, it's the opposite, and Wembanyama's stats have been even better when he has increased his workload."
He predicts the Spurs to win in six games, then take care of the Boston Celtics in six as well.
CBS Sports: 4 of 6 experts predict Celtics to emerge from the East
While the Western Conference is littered with different picks from CBS Sports' panel of experts, the East doesn't have as much variety, with two-thirds of their panel picking Boston to represent the conference in the Finals.
Funny enough though, only one of them has the Celtics winning it all. Jack Maloney is the the only person to predict a victory for the Eastern Conference, picking Boston to defeat the Thunder.
Maloney writes, "The Thunder would surely be favored in a Finals matchup against the Celtics, and could very well win. But Boston has defied the odds at every turn over the past seven months, and will cap a storybook season with an upset over the reigning champs."
Avery Johnson: Thunder will defeat Celtics
Former NBA head coach Avery Johnson says that the Thunder remind him "of what [they] built in San Antonio."
He also believes that whoever comes out of the Western Conference between the Spurs and Thunder should win the championship. He specifically predicts the Thunder to win in six games over Boston.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA Playoffs predictions, picks for NBA Finals, 2026 championship
Hader Feels Good After First Live BP
Astros closer Josh Hader took an important step toward a return to action by throwing a live batting practice session before Tuesday’s game against the Colorado Rockies.
Facing hitters for the first time since August, the six-time All-Star threw 20 pitches to Taylor Trammell and Brice Matthews. Hader hasn’t pitched this season due to left biceps inflammation after a left shoulder strain kept him out of action for the final seven weeks of 2025.
“I got through it. That’s a positive thing to note,” Hader said.
Hader estimated he threw 15 pitches in the bullpen before taking the mound at Daikin Park. His fastball velocity ranged from 91-93 MPH, which is what he expected the first time out.
“Feeling good. Feeling strong,” Hader said. “Throwing relatively hard and commanding the baseball in the zone. Commanding the slider, getting good whiffs on it. Ideally, that’s what you want.”
Hader is approaching his buildup the way he would approach the ramp up to a season. He’ll throw a bullpen in the next few days and then another live BP. The goal is to shorten the gap between the two, but he did not put a timetable on when he could expect to go out on a rehab assignment.
“I take it day by day. Try and build my shoulder, bullet proof it, get it strong, and I feel like I’ve been able to do that.”
Game Thread: A lefty making his MLB debut?
Go Rays!
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Martín Pérez clears waivers but elects free agency
Former Atlanta Braves starter pitcher Martín Pérez has cleared waivers after the team designated him for assignment on April 12, 2026. The team optioned him to Triple-A Gwinnett, but the veteran lefty elected free agency.
Pérez, who made two starts and three appearances with Atlanta after his contract was selected in the first week of the regular season, was signed as a minor league free agent this past off-season. The 35-year-old has pitched in 328 games – including 281 starts – since debuting with the Texas Rangers in 2012.
Atlanta is currently working with a four-man rotation but will not need a fifth starter until April 21. Should Pérez opt to return to the organization, it is possible he could be in-line to make a start the next time the Braves need a fifth starter. Injured starting pitcher Spencer Strider is on a rehab assignment and likely won’t be ready within the next week.
Pérez tossed 14.1 innings for Atlanta, striking out six with a 0.910 WHIP and 3.14 ERA and 3.86 xERA. His xFIP of 4.51 in 2026 is an almost exact match with his career 4.52 xFIP.
Lakers prepare for Rockets playoff series with emphasis on rebounding
Rebounding was not a strength of the Lakers over the course of the regular season. Rebounding was a strength of the Houston Rockets during the 2025-26 campaign.
So, on their first day of practice Tuesday for Game 1 of the first round Saturday at Crypto.com Arena, the Lakers worked diligently on rebounding drills, knowing full well that will be one of the keys against the Rockets.
The Lakers were the fourth-worst rebounding team in the NBA, averaging 41.0 per game. The Rockets were the top rebounding team in the league, getting 48.1 overall and 15.0 on the offensive end.
And one of the Lakers' better rebounders, Luka Doncic, won’t be available because he’s dealing with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain that he went to Spain for treatment. Doncic is second on the Lakers in rebounding at 7.7 per game. His starting backcourt mate, Austin Reaves, also is a good rebounder but he also won’t play because of a Grade 2 left oblique strain. Reaves is averaging 4.7 rebounds per game.
“They’re out indefinitely,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said about Doncic and Reaves.
Redick then gave a simple answer for how the Lakers have to deal with the Rockets in the best-of-seven series.
Read more:LeBron James takes the reins for Lakers entering playoffs
“Again, taking care of the basketball and boxing out. That’s the series,” Redick said. “Scheme, personnel, obviously important, but if we don’t take care of the ball and we don’t box out, we’re not gonna win the series.
“They were No. 4 in scoring opportunities. We were No. 23, so we don’t have the luxury with Luka and AR out of getting drilled in scoring opportunities every single game. We gotta box out. We’re going to place an emphasis on every drill in practice. We started practice with boxing out today. You gotta put it in their minds. That’s literally the only thing we said about Houston today. Today was about us having a practice, getting sharp with our stuff. Tomorrow, we’ll introduce [Rockets] personnel. Thursday we’ll do our scout, as we would. Friday will be a reinforcement of that scout. Saturday we’ll be good to go. Only thing we did today was box out.”
Lakers 7-foot backup center Jaxson Hayes will be counted to get rebounds. He’ll also spend time dealing with Rockets All-Star center Alperen Sengun, who averages 20.4 points and 8.9 rebounds (3.0 on offense) per game.
Hayes missed the last four games because of left foot soreness, but he was back at practice Tuesday.
“Feeling a lot better,” Hayes said. “It's nice getting a few days off. Especially with my job, I jump a lot and I run a lot, so it's hard for me to rest something like that. Getting those days off was very much needed. Very helpful.”
When asked about the box-out drills the Lakers did at practice, Hayes recalled the last time he did such a thing.
Read more:How do the Lakers match up against the Houston Rockets entering their playoff series?
“Definitely college, for sure,” Hayes said. “College days with those Texas bigs. Coaches start off the practice where you got to smack somebody. Obviously, we weren't trying to murder each other out on the boards, but definitely practicing that stuff. Houston is, I think, one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the past 20 years. So, just making sure we're ready for that.”
The Rockets are a physical team that also plays smothering defense.
Houston allowed 110.0 points per game during the regular season, the fourth-best defensive mark in the league, and held teams to 46.0% shooting, the sixth-best mark in the league.
For Lakers guard Marcus Smart, there is one way to compete with the Rockets on the backboards.
“Will. Willpower,” Smart said. “We’re competitors. We’ve been doing this for a while. We’re doing that at the highest level, right? And they’re going to try to come in and punk us. And if you will allow that, you will be punked. And I don’t think we have any guys that are going to be punked on this team. So, we might not be the most athletic and strongest, but we got to have the most heart.”
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Pair Of Rookies To Make NHL Debuts For Hurricanes
It might be meaningless Game 82 for the Carolina Hurricanes in terms of standings, but it'll be a memorable day for a pair of rookies.
Felix Unger Sorum and Ronan Seeley will both make their NHL debuts tonight at UBS Arena, earning callups for the final game of the year.
Dreams to reality 🔥 pic.twitter.com/8S1BSMCGlj
— z - Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) April 14, 2026
Unger Sorum, 20, has made quite the jump in his second year in North America, more than tripling his point production from his rookie year in the AHL.
The Swedish winger led the Chicago Wolves in scoring with 16 goals and 63 points in 69 games.
The 2023 second-round pick is a cerebral playmaker who excels with the puck on his stick. He has tremendous vision and is able to create time and space with ease.
While not the biggest player, he's unafraid of going into the corners either and has proven that he's capable of elevating his game in North America.
Felix Unger Sorum: The NHL's Youngest ProspectIn just three months, Carolina Hurricanes prospect Felix Unger Sorum has gone from a relatively unknown teenager from a small, Swedish village to everybody's new favorite prospect in Raleigh.
Seeley, 23, has been a steady presence in the organization, where he's managed to carve out a steady role despite the odds.
The 2020 seventh-round pick has spent four years in the AHL with the Chicago Wolves and has been a stable presence on both sides of the puck.
Congrats to both players on their debuts!
Welcome to the league, boys 💪 pic.twitter.com/XdaSp8ybK4
— z - Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) April 14, 2026
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