Nov 24, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks (3) controls the ball against Houston Rockets guard Josh Okogie (20) in the first half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Tonight is the final road game for the 2025-26 Houston Rockets. Their next road game will be Game 1 or Game 3 of their first round series.
Obviously, this is a game that many associated with the Phoenix Suns have had circled on the calendar. Jalen Green has missed all three previous games between these teams and Kevin Durant missed the earlier game in Phoenix. Dillon Brooks has played all three games and has been his typical intense self. The other player in that trade, Khaman Maluach, has been a project (as expected) this season but has shown flashes for the Suns.
I expect the Suns and their fans to be rabid for this game. Brooks is going to hype the team up to the moon and the fans will want nothing more than to take down Durant and Houston’s six-game winning streak.
This game is also on national television and will be Houston’s latest game of the season, starting at 10pm local Houston time.
DENVER, CO - APRIL 6: Troy Johnston #20 of the Colorado Rockies celebrates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run in the sixth inning against the Houston Astros at Coors Field on April 6, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Forget the 9-9-9 challenge. The Rockies completed the 14-8-5 challenge on Monday night.
The Rockies sent 14 batters to the plate and scored eight runs in the fifth inning to go from trailing 3-0 to surging ahead 8-3 on their way to an ultimate 9-7 win against the Astros. Juan Mejia closed out the game with a scoreless 1.2 innings, including striking out Cam Smith to lock in the win and record the save.
Troy Johnston went 3-for-4 with a homer, a double and two RBI, while Edouard Julien, TJ Rumfield and Willi Castro all added two-hit nights for the Rockies. Ryan Feltner picked up the win and Jimmy Herget and Mejia were solid in relief as the Rockies improved to 4-6 on the season, while the Astros dropped to 6-5.
Fantastic Fifth
The Rockies compiled seven hits, including four with two outs, three walks, and a sac bunt, in addition to taking advantage of a fielding error to put up an eight-spot on the Astros in the fifth. The 14 batters were the most the Rockies have sent to the plate in one inning since 2018 when they did it against the Cardinals.
Get ready to re-live this rally.
Willi Castro got the party started with a single and Brenton Doyle walked. After Jake McCarthy moved them up a base with a sac bunt, Kyle Karros walked to load the bases for Julien, who ripped a two-run single.
Johnston followed with a lucky ball that bounced the right way when a grounder hit second base and jumped over shortstop Jeremy Peña’s head and into the outfield for a two-run double. It resulted in a humorous “I don’t know” shrug on the basepaths from Johnston.
Castro, who led off the inning, then drove in another run with a single. Doyle reached on an error and McCarthy walked to load the bases for the Rockies again. This time, Karros came through with a single to make it 8-3. There were two extra base hits, but no homer in the rally.
Agnos, We Have a Problem
Herget entered the game in the sixth and gave up one run on two hits with one strikeout to earn a hold in 1.2 innings. Zach Agnos entered the game in the eighth and Houston was all over him. Christian Walker hit a leadoff single and Cam Smith followed with a double. Joey Loperfino hit a sacrifice grounder before Yainer Diaz hit an RBI single to cut the Rockies lead to 9-7.
Jake Meyers then doubled to put runners at second and third, bringing the go-ahead run to the plate in the form of Peña. That ended Agnos’ night after he gave up two runs on four hits in one third of an inning. Agnos now has a 12.27 ERA in three appearances, giving up five runs on 11 hits in 3.2 innings.
That’s when Mejia came in and was lights out. He got Peña to fly out and intentionally walked Yordan Alvarez to load the bases for Jose Altuve. Luckily, Altuve grounded out in a fielder’s choice and Mejia escaped any more damage. Mejia then sent the Astros down in order to earn his first save of the seaosn.
Astros Strike First
Feltner got off to a great start when he got Peña to ground out on one pitch and then sent down Alvarez swinging.
Then came the middle of the Houston lineup and the trouble. Altuve and Carlos Correa hit back-to-back doubles and the Astros went up 1-0. Walker, an infamous Rockies killer, followed with an RBI single to double Houston’s lead.
Feltner bounced back with a beautiful, three-up, three-down inning with three grounders and four pitches in the second. Despite giving up a single, he also put up a scoreless third. A few fly balls made it to the warning track and the wind might have helped keep them in play. In the fourth, Smith smashed a homer despite the wind, and Houston went up 3-0.
The Astros went three-up and three-down in the fifth and when Feltner took the mound again, he had an 8-3 lead. After giving up a double to Altuve and issuing two walks, Feltner’s night was over. Jimmy Herget bailed him out with the bases loaded, only surrendering one run. On the night, Feltner gave up four runs on seven hits and two walks with one strikeout in 5.1 innings. He improved to 1-0 on the season and has a 4.32 ERA.
Purple Fur Homer Coat
When Johnston smashed a sweeper 407 feet to right field in the sixth inning, it seemed like an unnecessary cushion. After hitting his second homer of the season, Johnston got a nice celebration in the dugout when the Rockies unveiled the purple fur home run coat.
In the postgame press conference, manager Warren Schaeffer said that the coat is new. He also said a friend of assistant pitching coach Gabe Ribas gifted the coat to the team.
“We thought it was the perfect coat for our home run celebration,” Schaeffer said. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
Hopefully, Rockies fans see the purple coat a lot more moving forward.
Up Next
The Rockies and Astros will be back in action for game two of their Coors Field series on Tuesday night at 6:40 p.m. Kyle Freeland (0-1, 2.89 ERA) will get the start for the Rockies, while RHP Mike Burrows (1-1, 5.91 ERA) will be on the mound for Houston.
Apr 6, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale (51) reacts after hitting Los Angeles Angels third baseman Yoán Moncada (10) with a pitch in the fourth inning at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
In the top of the first inning, Drake Baldwin homered again to give the Braves an early 1-0 lead over the Angels. Baldwin’s incredible sophomore campaign has been something to behold.
And that’s where the fun ended on Monday night.
Jose Soriano absolutely cooked the Braves for eight innings, allowing just the one run on three hits. He struck out 10 and didn’t walk anyone. It was surgical. Atlanta had no chance.
Chris Sale gave up a homer on the first pitch of the game to Zach Neto, and after settling in a bit after that, he completely imploded in the fourth. The sequence went: hit by pitch, single, walk, walk, groundout, hit by pitch, single to make it 4-1. And in the fifth, Jo Adell blasted a two-run homer to extend the lead to 6-1.
Offensively, the Braves went down 1-2-3 in the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh innings. Mauricio Dubon hit a solo homer in the top of the ninth to make it 6-2.
It was a night to forget for the Braves, who have now last three in a row. After a 6-2 start, they are 6-5.
The series continues Tuesday night in Anaheim with Reynaldo Lopez set to face lefty Yusei Kikuchi.
TORONTO — Blue Jays right-hander and three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer left Monday’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers after two innings because of forearm tendinitis.
The 41-year-old Scherzer, who re-signed with Toronto in February, allowed two runs and two hits.
Scherzer said he’s been sore for a couple of days and didn’t feel any worse after his abbreviated outing.
“I don’t think it’s a major issue, just something that needs to be addressed,” he said. “My mind is I’m going to be making my next start.”
Scherzer’s fastball averaged 93.4 mph in a March 31 start against Colorado. That dropped to 92.1 mph in Monday’s two innings against the Dodgers.
Teoscar Hernández homered off Scherzer in the first, driving in Kyle Tucker.
Left-hander Josh Fleming, who was selected from Triple-A Buffalo earlier Monday, took over in the third.
The Blue Jays already have four starters on the injured list, including right-hander Cody Ponce. Last Monday, Ponce left his first big league appearance since 2021 in the third inning after injuring his knee while pursuing an infield grounder.
Right-handers Trey Yesavage (shoulder), Jose Berrios (elbow) and Shane Bieber (elbow) are all working their way back from injuries and have yet to pitch this season.
Last week, the Blue Jays signed 36-year-old left-hander Patrick Corbin to a one-year contract. Corbin started for Single-A Dunedin on Saturday, allowing one run in five innings.
The first 5-6-4-3 double play since 1995 required almost optimal conditions to transpire.
A gallant dive from Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia to deflect the ball. An instinctive Gold Glove performer like Bobby Witt, Jr. to scoop up the ball and fire a laser to second base.
A nifty turn from Jonathan India. A balletic stretch from first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino.
And finally, a lumbering baserunner in Rhys Hoskins.
Add it all up, and, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, it's the first groundball double play where every infielder touched the ball since Aug. 24, 1995, when the San Francisco Giants' Matt Williams, Royce Clayton, Robby Thompson and Mark Carreon pulled off the feat against the Montreal Expos' Mike Lansing.
The rare twin killing in the bottom of the fourth inning played a key role in the Royals' 4-2 victory over the Cleveland Guardians. Starter Michael Wacha completed seven innings on 102 pitches — an outcome certainly boosted when he got two outs on a game of infield hot potato.
With the win, the Royals improved to 5-5 while the Guardians fell to 6-5. The two teams' three-game series is a matchup of the early leaders in the AL Central.
Apr 6, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Casey Mize (12) gets pulled from the game by Detroit Tigers head coach A.J. Hinch against the Minnesota Twins in the fifth inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
On a frigid night in Minnesota, the Twisn perservered while the Tigers continued to make a mess of things, falling 7-3 in the first of four in the Twin Cities. The Tigers continued to draw tons of walks and then fail to cash in baserunners, while the usual rollercoaster that is Casey Mize followed a great first outing with a steep drop.
Mize faced off against the Twins’ best in right-hander Joe Ryan. Mize had to work through a minor jam in the second after a walk and then a Matt Vierling error on a drive from Victor Caratini. He struck out Matt Wallner with a splitter that didn’t even have much drop, walked Royce Lewis to load the bases, but punched out James Outman on a splitter down and in, and got Brooks Lee to fly out to end the inning.
Ryan was cruising, and he continued to cruise in the third as Vierling popped out and a drive from Parker Meadows was snagged by Josh Bell. Jake Rogers was behind the dish in this one, and he whiffed on a riding Ryan fourseamer up and away.
Mize wasn’t spotting his fastballs well and his velo was down a little, although that was presumably the weather as Ryan dealt with the same thing. The Twins broke through in the bottom of the third when Buxton roasted a double to left, and Trevor Larnach reached on an infield single. Mize proceeded to walk Luke Keaschall to again load the bases.
The right-hander popped up Bell for the first out, but a drive to center from Caratini allowed Buxton to tag and score. This is where Mize had a good opportunity to escape relatively unscathed. Instead, Wallner flicked an 0-1 splitter into right field for a soft RBI single and it was 2-0 Twins. That brought up Royce Lewis, who smoked an RBI single to left to score Keaschall before Mize struck out Oatman to finally end the rally. 3-0 Twins.
That was the story of Mize’s night. He dug himself into a couple of deep holes and didn’t have the stuff and command to dig his way out repeatedly.
Kevin McGonigle was in the leadoff spot, with Gleyber Torres and Colt Keith following, and I like this arrangement against a right-handed starter. If they want to keep walking McGonigle, he can run, opening up the right side of the infield. The Tigers rookie reached to open the fourth on a Brooks Lee error and promptly stole second base. Torres walked, and a red hot Colt Keith hammered a double to right field. 3-1 Twins.
Riley Greene battled through a nine pitch AB against the tough right-hander, but Ryan jammed him and got a pop-up for the first out. Torkelson patiently took a walk as Ryan stayed away from him, and Zach McKinstry pulled a two-run single to right field to tie the game up. However, Ryan dug in and whiffed Vierling and Meadows to escape any further trouble.
Mize, pitching with new life in this one, popped up Lee and was fortunate that a Buxton drive was collected by Meadows. Larnach singled to right field, and Mize quickly fell behind Keaschall 2-0. A 2-1 fastball was again pretty poorly located middle in and Keaschall mashed it to left for a two-run shot. 5-3 Twins.
The Tigers got another chance to come right back in the fifth when McGonigle laced an automatic double down the line in left with one out. Torres stayed patient and took a walk as Ryan missed up and down. The Tigers were in business, but as has been the story of the early going, they failed to deliver the hits with Ryan in trouble. Keith took him to a full count but took a fastball on the outer edge for strike three, losing a challenge in the process. Greene put together another lengthy at-bat only to ground out to end the inning.
Mize gave up a leadoff single in the bottom half and then froze Wallner for the first out of the inning. Drew Anderson came on and promptly walked Lewis. Walks were plentiful as temparatures dipped below freezing. However, Anderson settled down and punched Outman on a good fastball up and in but still in the zone. Lee reached on a tough play for McGonigle, but that single was followed by a pop-up to end the inning from Buxton to Rogers.
Lefty Anthony Banda took over from Ryan in the sixth. Torkelson hit one hard out to center but not hard enough, and McKinstry grounded out. Vierling came through with a drive into the right center field gap that Wallner booted into a double and a one base error. With Meadows up, A.J. Hinch had the perfect spot for Jahmai Jones against the lefty, and Jones struck out swinging.
Anderson cruised through the sixth, and the Twins turned to Eric Orze on the mound as Kody Clemens took over from Bell at first. Orze gaveup a two-out walk to Torres, but again the Tigers couldn’t do anything with these gifts as Keith flew out the opposite way.
Anderson popped up Caratini to start the seventh, but gave up a double to Wallner. The right-hander and Rogers had a weird moment as the catcher looked like he was expecting something soft and Anderson airmailed a fastball over his head for a wild pitch that got Wallner to third. Some good changeups and curveballs form Anderson dispatched Lewis swinging, and three more sharp curveballs set Outman down swinging as well.
Good to see Anderson put together a strong outing after a shaky return to the majors in his first few outings. FB command still needs some work but he was much better getting ahead so his good changeup and curve could work for him.
The Twins continued to hand out opportunities in the eighth, as Kody Funderburk walked Greene and Tork to open the inning. Unfortunately, with McKinstry batting, Funderburk sailed a breaking ball over his catcher to the backstop. The runners broke to advance, and the ball caromed right back to Caratini. Greene saw this and tried to retreat while Torkelson was already nearly to second, and was eventually pickled and canned with Greene returning to second. My preference in that situation is just to keep going and make the catcher turn and make the throw, but it was just a nasty bit of luck as well. McKinstry walked to keep the opportunity alive, and right-hander Cody Laweryson took over. Vierling’s struggles to handle high fastballs were exploited for a strikeout, and Jones, now in a bad matchup, popped out to once again squander a chance.
That was all she wrote, as Anderson got the first out in the bototm half but walked Buxton on four straight errant pitches. Brant Hurter upstaged that with eight straight balls to walk Austin Martin and Keaschall, loading the bases. He froze Clemens, but Caratini did the job, not overswinging in the spot and lining a two run single to center 7-3.
Hurter finished the inning, but no one cared, included the Twins faithful who had largely vacated the ice palace of Target Field, feeling secure in a victory.
They were correct in their assumption. Laweryson went 1-2-3 in the ninth to wrap up the Tigers fifth road loss in seven attempts to start the season. Now 4-6, the Kitties will send their ace Tarik Skubal against a talented young right-hander in Taj Bradely at 7:40 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - APRIL 06: Randy Arozarena #56 of the Seattle Mariners is unable to catch a ball, which goes for a double, hit by Joc Pederson of the Texas Rangers in the fourth inning at Globe Life Field on April 06, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For those unfamiliar with the tradition, the combination of Buzzfeed listicle, treasure hunt, airing of the grievances, and prix fixe tasting menu that my people call Passover—occurring this week—includes a segment in which the youngest child present asks a series of questions designed to elicit why this night is different from all other nights. Taking my cue from that, here are four things about tonight’s Mariners game that make tonight different from all other Mariner games.
Cal Raleigh hit his first home run
I know, I know: Cal Raleigh hits a lot of home runs. But the 11th game is the latest into his season it’s ever taken the Beef Boy to hit a Beef Boy Bomb. Maybe we give him partial credit for the home run Jo Adell robbed him of on Saturday, but still, it’s been hard not to feel a little pent up after last season’s record chase. To Cal’s credit, he made up for lost time with a 418-foot no doubter after working a 12-pitch at-bat against Jacob deGrom.
It took until tonight for any combination of Stetson University’s three recent outstanding pitchers—Jacob deGrom, Logan Gilbert, and Corey Kluber—to face each other. And both deGrom and Gilbert gave their alma mater some things to root for in the matter of the Hatters.
Gilbert was still a little more fuzzy than sharp with his stuff tonight, and the start and finish to his night were less than impressive. In the first inning, he located a slider on the bottom rail, but without much bite to it, and Wyatt Langford was able to knock a double. Corey Seager then drove him in on a middle-middle cutter, which, look, I’m sorry, Logan, but you just cannot leave a middle-middle pitch to Corey Seager.
Gilbert got it together in the middle of the game, starting with a gorgeous strikeout of Jake Burger on a splitter for which Burger’s swing wasn’t even in the same zip code. The next inning included back-to-back punchouts to get to 900 on his career; Logan becomes just the sixth Mariner in history to manage the feat.
But the wheels came back off in the sixth. He got lucky when a slider he served up in the lefty loop zone to Brandon Nimmo was caught at the wall, but less lucky on the back-to-back solid hits by Seager and Burger that resulted in the Rangers’ second run.
On the whole, Gilbert’s line doesn’t look all that bad, with six innings of five strikeouts, no walks, and just two runs. But I think that oversells how well he actually pitched, especially considering the quality of competition. The nine hard-hit balls and single whiff on his slider tell the more complete story.
For his part, deGrom was in trouble early, with the Mariners working long at-bats, even when they weren’t getting on base. But they let him settle in and only reached base three times in deGrom’s five innings of work: Cal’s home run plus a walk and an error.
The Mariners inspired us to remember the suffering of our ancestors
We’ve already covered Corey Seager’s two hits, RBI, and run scored. To top that off, he’s such a fearsome hitter that when he came up with a runner on third and first base open in the ninth, Dan Wilson intentionally walked him without a second thought.
I’m going a little out of order here, but another play that stood out was Brendan Donovan making a nice dive to grab a ball at the hot corner, but he eleven-hopped the throw, allowing the concrete-shoed Josh Jung to collect an infield hit.
My point with this section is that this was a game that really made me miss Kyle Seager.
Texas’s bullpen outpitched Seattle’s
Even though (1) the Rangers’ bullpen has been its biggest weakness this decade, while the Mariners’ is feared and (2) Texas’s relievers had to cover four innings to the Mariners’ two, the Rangers still came out ahead.
For Seattle, Jose A. Ferrer had his best outing with the team so far, striking out two and picking up a weak ground out. That effort gets him tonight’s Sun Hat Award (which should embarrass the literal Hatter). But Cooper Criswell was all over the place, still favoring his terrible sinker, leading to a jam that he got out of thanks only to a 5-4-3 double play that featured a nice turn by Cole Young.
The Rangers meanwhile kept the Mariners quiet. The only eventful part of their performances was the triple-switch sequence, in which the Mariners brought Víctor Robles in to pinch hit for the lefty Dominic Canzone, the Rangers countered by bringing in righty Cole Winn, and the Mariners counter-countered by subbing the lefty J.P. Crawford for Robles before Robles even saw a pitch. The gambit almost worked for Seattle, as J.P. hit a 400-foot flyout, but still, when the most eventful part was just the shuffling of names on the lineup card, you know the offense was held in check. Jakob Junis finished things off with a four-pitch save—another thing you’ll almost never see on any other night.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - APRIL 6: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers shoots the ball during the game against the San Antonio Spurs on April 6, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. 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 (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
2025-26 Sixers Bell Ringer season standings:
Tyrese Maxey – 22.5 VJ Edgecombe – 13 Joel Embiid – 10.5 Paul George – 8 Kelly Oubre Jr. – 5 Justin Edwards – 4 Quentin Grimes – 3 Jared McCain :’( – 3 Dominick Barlow – 2 Andre Drummond – 2 MarJon Beauchamp – 2 Adem Bona – 1 Cam Payne – 1 Jabari Walker – 1 Trendon Watford – 1 15th roster spot – 1
The Philadelphia 76ers fell 115-102 to the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night.
The Sixers were damn-near full strength for this one, with only Johni Broome (knee surgery) and Cam Payne, who strained his hamstring in Saturday’s contest, sidelined. The Spurs were similarly healthy and led by current NBA MVP candidate Victor Wembanyama.
Both of the big men in this one suffered some early bumps and bruises, with Embiid missing part of the first following a hard fall from a collision with Wemby. The Frenchman had his own early trip off the floor as well after seemingly hurting his shoulder in a collision with Paul George. Both were back in the game looking strong by midway through the second quarter to give us the true Embiid vs. Wemby battle we were hoping for, and it was damn fun to watch. By halftime, Embiid had 20 points, Wemby had 17 and the Sixers trailed the Spurs by seven.
Wemby ended up leaving the contest at halftime due to a rib contusion. Even without the San Antonio leader, though, things stayed tough for the Sixers with the Spurs staying out in front throughout the third. When Embiid went to the bench for some rest to start the fourth (after playing the entire second and third quarters), it only got worse, with the Spurs’ lead extending to double digits. The teams continued to trade buckets, but, unfortunately for the Sixers, trading buckets doesn’t really work when you’re down about 10 points the entire time.
The Spurs, even without Wemby for the entire second half, simply outplayed the Sixers.
Just three games left. The Sixers will have a few days off before starting their 16th and final back-to-back of the season on Thursday visiting the Houston Rockets.
Until then, let’s get to the Bell Ringer.
Paul George: 16 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals
<p>(Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images)</p><br> | NBAE via Getty Images
It’s amazing to watch how locked in Paul George has been since returning from his 25-game suspension. He has been shooting the absolute lights out, especially from long range, and tonight was no exception. With Tyrese Maxey struggling and Joel Embiid dealing with some pain from a hard fall early, having someone like PG able to tack on points pretty much whenever called upon right now is huge.
He got things started tonight, opening the game with a triple and ending up hitting two more from long range before the end of the first. He led the Sixers after one with 11 points on 4-for-6 FG, 3-for-3 3PT shooting. He cooled off a bit as Embiid took over the offense, but was ready to contribute again when called upon here and there in the second half (minus the end of the game when no one from the Sixers could seem to score a single point).
PG doing all that while continuing to play the solid defense we all know he’s capable of has been a huge boost to the Sixers as of late — hopefully he can keep it going.
Finishing with 16 points, PG’s shooting was actually quite cold from two-point range, going 1-for-10. That being said, he continues his streak of success from long range since returning from suspension going 4-for-5 from beyond the arc on Monday.
George also finished Monday with five rebounds, four assists and two steals.
Joel Embiid: 34 points, 12 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 blocks
<p>(Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images)</p><br> | NBAE via Getty Images
We had a little bit of a scare with Embiid early on in this one after he took a hard fall from a collision with Wemby. After a few minutes clearly in some pain and hitting the bench early in the first, Embiid returned to the game to close the opening frame. Still laboring in some pain, it took a little bit for him to look comfortable offensively, but he went right to work defensively, coming up with some great stops.
Then, as the second quarter got underway, Embiid basically took over the offense for the Sixers, and it certainly seemed like the pain was not bothering him as much anymore. The big fella started working his way into the paint and going to war (and a physical one) with Wembanyama, battling for any inch of space he could get to sink buckets around or over the Frenchman’s eight-foot wingspan. After scoring just four points in his disjointed first period stints, Embiid put up 16 on 5-for-6 field goal and 1-for-2 long range shooting in the second frame. He led the floor at halftime with 20 points as well as six rebounds and two blocks.
From there, especially without Wemby to counter him, Embiid continued to command the Sixers’ offensive production, whether scoring buckets, getting to the line, or setting screens for his teammates to score off of. He ended up playing the entirety of the second and third periods.
It’s not just the scoring, though. It’s the fact that the scoring is coming along with a major uptick in defensive impact and rebounding in performances the latter half of this season. It’s at a level we haven’t been able to see from Embiid in quite some time, and we can only hope it continues.
Embiid finished Monday with a 34-point, 12-rebound double-double (including five offensive boards) with an assist and four blocks.
(Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The degree of difficulty of some of the buckets that VJ Edgecombe manages to sink continues to impress me. It’s not anything that will ever show on the stat sheet, but it absolutely should. Edgecombe continues to finish plays that very few players in the NBA could finish successfully, let alone a rookie.
Not only that, but he’s hitting these shots exactly when the Sixers need him to. It feels like whenever the Sixers are on the receiving end of an opponent’s scoring streak, it’s very frequently Edgecombe who stops the bleeding with a bucket.
The rookie finished Monday with 14 points, eight rebounds (two offensive), three assists, one steal and one block.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - APRIL 06: Minnesota Twins infielder Luke Keaschall (15) rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the fourth inning of a MLB game between the Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers on April 6, 2026, at Target Field in Minneapolis MN. (Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve got a series-opening win on our hands! The top half of the lineup woke up, Joe Ryan battled through some cold middle innings, and the bullpen worked around some very poor Twins defense, but a win is a win!
Things were looking good through three innings. Joe Ryan was perfect and the Twins finally broke through in the bottom of the third for three runs, sparked by Byron Buxton and Luke Keaschall, both of whom had struggled immensely in the first week+ of the season. Buck led off with a sharp double followed by an infield single by Trevor Larnach. Keaschall then worked an eight pitch walk to juice the bases with no outs. A pop-up and sac fly induced fears of a wasted opportunity, but Matt Wallner and Royce Lewis worked a couple two-out hits to give the Twins three runs in the inning.
Detroit was finally able to get some baserunners off Ryan in the fourth, however. An error by Brooks Lee let rookie phenom Kevin McGonigle reach to start the inning, and things spiraled a bit from there. Ryan walked a couple of Tigers and surrendered a double to Colt Keith to get the Tigers on the board, then a big two-run single from Zach McKinstry knotted the game up at three. Luckily, Ryan was able to get the next two Tigers swinging to end the threat.
The wind was out of the sails, but Luke Keaschall brought it right back the next inning. After a soft Larnach single, Keaschall finally got ahold of his first home run of the season, and 367-foot line drive that had just enough to clear the left field wall on a frigid night, and the Twins never looked back.
The Tigers’ best chance to win came in the 8th when Kody Funderburk walked three straight to start the inning. Luckily, a botched double steal on a pitch that went over the batter’s head allowed the Twins to gun down one of the runners, leaving only two on base and one out for Cody Laweryson, who got the next two Detroit batters to end the threat.
Bad base-running by the Tigers and some nifty work by Laweryson saved the Twins, but manager Derek Shelton probably needs to reevaluate his Fundy-centric bullpen plan. Funderburk was excellent after the deadline last year and has been solid to start this season, but he’s getting very overexposed very early on. 12 of 16 pitches from Fundy in the 8th were balls, and only one pitch was a surefire, in-the-zone strike. After pitching in seven of the first 10 games this season, he’s likely just tired.
With things too close for comfort, the Tigers did the Twins the favor of issuing three straight four-pitch walks. Victor Caratini dropped a soft single just over the infield to plate two more Minnesota runs and that was all she wrote.
STUDS
Luke Keaschall: 1-3, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB
Victor Caratini: 2-4, 3 RBI
Trevor Larnach: 2-4, 2 R
Matt Wallner: 2-5, 1 2B, 1 RBI
DUDS
NO DUDS BABY THAT’S A TWINS WIN
The dreaded Tarik Skubal matchup is up next. But to poorly paraphrase a little someone named Anthony Edwards:
Dusty May the No. 1-seed Wolverines defeated No. 2 seed UConn on Monday, April 6, to claim the March Madness championship at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The championship is the second for the Wolverines, and first for the Big Ten since 2000.
Elliott Cadeau paced the Wolverines in the win, scoring 19 points while nabbing three rebounds and two assists to lead the Wolverines to a 69-63 victory in the championship game.
UConn, conversely, got into foul trouble early and was never able to fully recover against the size and physicality of the Wolverines, though they did an admirable job keeping it close down the stretch — certainly closer than any other team the Wolverines had faced. They were led in scoring by Alex Karaban, who finished the night with 17 points.
Here's a look at who won the 2026 national championship in the men's basketball NCAA Tournament:
Who won NCAA championship between Michigan, UConn?
Michigan won the 2026 NCAA men's basketball national championship with a 69-63 win over UConn.
Michigan won its second national championship in program history and first since 1989. With the win, the Wolverines snapped a 26-year drought for the Big Ten Conference. Michigan State won the 2000 national championship as the last Big Ten school, beating Florida.
Michigan-UConn score in NCAA championship
TEAMS
1H
2H
F
UConn
29
34
63
Michigan
33
36
69
Michigan-UConn stats
Stats
UConn
Michigan
FGs (%)
21-68 (31%)
21-55 (38%)
3PTs (%)
9-33 (27%)
2-15 (13%)
FTs (%)
12-16 (75%)
25-28 (89%)
Rebounds
46
39
Assists
9
7
Steals
4
6
Blocks
2
6
Turnovers
11
10
Points off turnovers
8
4
Fast break points
4
2
Points in paint
22
36
Fouls
22
13
Largest lead
3
11
Michigan-UConn highlights
Updated March Madness bracket, scores
East Region
First Round
No. 1 Duke 71, No. 16 Siena 65
No. 2 UConn 82, No. 15 Furman 71
No. 3 Michigan State 92, No. 14 North Dakota State 67
INDIANAPOLIS — Michigan beat Connecticut 69-63 in a defensive battle to complete a dominant run through the NCAA tournament and capture the program’s second national championship.
The Wolverines previously reached the championship game in 1965, 1976, 1989, 1992-93, 2013 and 2018, winning it all in 1989. Michigan is the first Big Ten team to win the title since Michigan State in 2000.
The narrower victory against the Huskies came after the Wolverines had steamrolled into Monday night, winning all five of their tournament games by an average of 21.6 points.
This is coach Dusty May’s first national title. He previously reached the Final Four with Florida Atlantic in 2023.
Playing two nights after injuring his left knee in the semifinals against Arizona, Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg had 13 points on 4 of 13 shooting. Point guard Elliot Cadeau had one of the best games of his career with 19 points and just one turnover. Morez Johnson Jr. posted 12 points and 10 rebounds.
UConn was led Alex Karaban’s 17 points. Guard Braylon Mullins had 11 points on 4 of 17 shooting and guard Solo Ball had 11 points in 16 minutes. Ball was dealing with a foot injury suffered against Illinois.
With its normally explosive offense struggling, Michigan’s defense stepped up to deliver the win.
The Huskies took a 16-15 lead midway through the first half as each team began to adjust to the other’s preferred tempo: more fast-paced for Michigan, more methodical for UConn. At this point, Cadeau and Johnson had combined for all of the Wolverines’ scoring.
The Huskies were already battling foul trouble, as Ball and point guard Silas Demary Jr. both picked up two quick whistles in the first eight minutes. They meant key early playing time for backup Malachi Smith, who finished with 6 points in 20 minutes of action.
Longer offensive possessions with extensive screening and ball movement along with suffocating perimeter defense helped UConn keep the Wolverines largely in check through the end of the first half.
Michigan went into the break ahead 33-29 after making 11 of 12 attempts from the free-throw line. But the Wolverines made just 11 of 30 attempts from the field and missed all eight shots from 3-point range. This was Michigan’s first half of play this season without at least one 3-pointer. UConn hit on just 10 of 30 attempts in the first half but made 5 of 15 from deep.
With its perimeter game missing, Michigan continued to attack the basket and took its biggest lead of the game at 41-33 on a Lendeborg and-one with 15:16 to play. This came amid a run of five UConn turnovers in eight possessions.
With 12:47 remaining, Cadeau made his team’s first 3-pointer to make it 48-37, giving Michigan its first double-digit lead. But the Wolverines were unable to land a knockout blow, at one point missing seven of eight shots, and UConn was able to make it a 50-45 game on a driving Demary layup with 8:24 on the clock.
Michigan answered with a 6-0 run to go in front 56-45 on a Lendeborg 3-pointer with 5:44 to play. That came after a potentially costly UConn possession that saw Karaban miss two free throws and then Demary miss a jumper following a Reed offensive rebound.
The Huskies continued to hang around, with Mullins drilling a 3-pointer after freeing himself with a pump fake to cut Michigan’s lead to 58-51 with 4:13 remaining. After two Cadeau free throws, a Karaban 3-pointer made it 62-56 at the two-minute mark.
In a huge moment on the ensuing possession, Michigan freshman guard Trey McKenney put home a 3-pointer of his own, pushing Michigan’s lead to 65-56 with 1:49 left.
After UConn forced a turnover with 45.7 seconds left, Ball banked in an arcing 3-point attempt to make it a 67-63 game. But Michigan would not be denied.
UConn would have a chance. After guard Roddy Gayle Jr. missed two free throws with 29.9 seconds to play, Karaban freed himself for a long jumper but came up short. Michigan corralled the loose ball with 13 seconds left and Trey McKenney would make two free throws to deliver the title.
Despite a decent outing, Erick Fedde had no run support and took the loss. | (Kamil Krzaczynski/Imagn Images)
It was a cold-night mix of sharp pitching and sloppy play, and despite a ninth-inning push, the White Sox managed just four hits in an anticlimactic end to their win streak. The Orioles didn’t do much better, though, with just seven hits.
Both teams wasted the first inning, each stranding a player on second. Erick Fedde came in for the second inning to replace the opener Grant Taylor and had a quick 1-2-3 inning. Austin Hays singled in his first at-bat against his former team, yet amidst a strikeout, Adley Rutschman caught Hays stealing to end the frame.
Fedde continued to dominate in the third, and Chase Meidroth got on base again, this time via a single (first was a walk), but once again, his teammates left him on base. This is a theme that would be repeated often as the Sox went a terrible 1-for-9 with RISP.
Rutschman picked up a walk with two outs in the top of the fourth, showing Fedde is indeed a mortal after all. Tyler O’Neill singled on a fly ball and managed to get Rutschman in, but in the process, Hays left the field limping after trying to field the ball. Now with the Orioles up 1-0, Ryan Mountcastle followed up with a single, putting runners in the corners with two outs. Fedde bounced back, forcing Colton Cowser to go down swinging, and stopped any further damage. Derek Hill picked up a two-out walk and stole second in the bottom of the fourth, but Andrew Benintendi stranded him, of course.
Coby Mayo started the top of the fifth with a single, but the progress was quickly erased with a double play ball, and Munetaka Murakami snatched a foul ball to end the frame. The Sox were retired in order.
Gunnar Henderson led off the sixth with a solo home run, putting the O’s up 2-0. In the Sox half, Meidroth once again got on base, went to second on a wild throw, and then third on a throwing error from Rutschman on the pickoff attempt. But guess what happened? He was stranded. Did you predict that outcome?
Mountcastle reached first on a base hit to start the seventh. Thankfully, the only White Sox position player who decided to show up (Meidroth) saved the inning by initiating a double play. In the bottom of the frame, Hill challenged and won a strike three call, giving him a full count turned walk. Alas, Rutschman again picked him off in a strike ’em out, throw ’em out.
Lucas Sims entered the game, replacing Fedde, in the eighth, and gave up a single to right away to Jeremiah Jackson. Two quick outs followed, and Quero threw Jackson out as he was attempting to swipe second during Pete Alonso’s at-bat. The South Siders went down in order in the bottom of the inning.
The ninth opened quietly, but the Good Guys made it interesting in the bottom half. Back-to-back walks to Murakami and Vargas put runners on first and second. A ground out by Montgomery moved both into scoring position, and Mune came home on a pinch-hit ground out by Lenyn Sosa. Benintendi kept things interesting with an in-field single, but birthday boy Edgar Quero went down on strikes, killing any momentum.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The Memphis Grizzlies made 29 3-pointers Monday night against Cleveland, matching an NBA single-game record.
And it wasn't enough.
Nine Grizzlies made at least one 3 in a 142-126 loss to the Cavaliers. The Grizzlies shot 49.2% (29 for 59) from deep and 45.7% (16 for 35) from inside the arc.
The 3-point record had been shared by Milwaukee and Boston. The Bucks made 29 3s in a 144-97 victory at Miami on Dec. 29, 2020, and the Celtics equaled the record in a 132-109 win against the New York Knicks on Oct. 22, 2024.
“I think we can be pretty proud of how we played with this group today on the court,” Memphis coach Tuomas Iisalo said. “Guys wanted to go for it in the end, and we were all for it. Unfortunately couldn't set a singular record, but tied it. Nonetheless, very proud of our group.”
The Grizzlies made 10 3s in the first quarter, three in the second, six in the third and 10 in the final period.
The Cavaliers went 12 for 32 from 3 for the game.
“Incredible shooting performance by the Grizzlies. Give them credit,” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said. “They shot the heck out of the ball.”
Memphis reserves Adama Bal and Dariq Whitehead each made six 3-pointers. Lucas Williamson went 5 for 12 from deep, and Olivier-Maxence Prosper was 4 for 5.
The Grizzlies lost for the 18th time in their last 20 games. They were averaging 13.7 made 3-pointers per game coming into the day.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Paolo Banchero scored 31 points, Desmond Bane added 25 and the Orlando Magic beat the Detroit Pistons 123-107 on Monday night.
Jalen Suggs had 12 points, 12 assists, six rebounds and three steals for the Magic, who won for the fourth time in five games.
Jalen Duren and Daniss Jenkins scored 18 points apiece for Detroit. Kevin Huerter and Javonte Green added 17 each for the Pistons, who had 21 turnovers.
Jalen Brunson made two free throws with 1.2 seconds left to give New York a three-point lead. McCollum took an inbounds pass near the free-throw line and took two dribbles before launching a shot that banked in. But replays showed the ball was still in his hands as time expired.
It was the Hawks’ first home loss since early February and put an end to Atlanta’s 13-game home win streak.
Brunson led New York with 30 points and 13 assists, and Karl-Anthony Towns had 21 points, 12 rebounds and six assists. MVP chants erupted in State Farm Arena as a 17-point fourth quarter from Brunson carried New York to its 51st win of the season.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker led the Hawks with 36 points, 20 coming in the first half to help Atlanta to a 57-53 lead at halftime.
CAVALIERS 142, GRIZZLIES 126
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Evan Mobley scored 24 points, Dennis Schroder had 22 points and 11 assists, and Cleveland beat Memphis despite the Grizzlies tying the NBA single-game record with 29 3-pointers.
Cleveland (50-29) reached 50 wins for the second straight season and 14th overall.
Memphis (25-54) shot 29 for 59 (49%) from behind the arc with all nine Grizzlies making a 3-pointer. Memphis’s franchise record for 3-point shooting matched the NBA mark of 29 shared by the Milwaukee Bucks (versus Miami on Dec. 29, 2020) and the Boston Celtics (versus the New York Knicks on Oct. 22, 2024). Adama Bal broke Memphis’ franchise record on the 28th make with 3:25 left and he added another at 1:41.
SPURS 115, 76ERS 102
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Stephon Castle had 17 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds and San Antonio held on to beat Philadelphia after Victor Wembanyama left in the first half due to a left rib contusion.
Wembanyama’s status for the final week of the regular season is unknown.
San Antonio (60-19) is is 2 1/2 games behind Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City (62-16) and assured of finishing no worse than second in the conference.
Philadelphia lost its second straight as it battles to stay out of the play-in tournament. The 76ers (43-36) are a half-game behind the Toronto Raptors (43-35) for sixth place in the Eastern Conference.
Philadelphia center Joel Embiid had 34 points and 12 rebounds, and Paul George added 16 points.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Evan Mobley scored 24 points, Dennis Schroder had 22 points and 11 assists, and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat Memphis 142-126 on Monday night despite the Grizzlies tying the NBA single-game record with 29 3-pointers.
Cleveland (50-29) reached 50 wins for the second straight season and 14th overall.
Memphis (25-54) shot 29 for 59 (49%) from behind the arc with all nine Grizzlies making a 3-pointer. Memphis's franchise record for 3-point shooting matched the NBA mark of 29 shared by the Milwaukee Bucks (versus Miami on Dec. 29, 2020) and the Boston Celtics (versus the New York Knicks on Oct. 22, 2024). Adama Bal broke Memphis' franchise record on the 28th make with 3:25 left and he added another at 1:41.
Cleveland trailed by as many as 17 points in the first half before using a 31-12 run to lead 68-64 at the break. Keon Ellis scored 16 points in the first half, and Mobley and Schroder each added 12. Schroder also had eight assists.
Cleveland outscored Memphis 28-16 over the first eight-plus minutes of the third quarter to build a 96-80 lead. Sam Merrill made a baseline jumper with 0.3 seconds left in the third for a 101-90 lead.
Merrill finished with 21 points for Cleveland and Ellis scored 19. Jarrett Allen moved into eighth place for blocks in franchise history with 431. Donovan Mitchell and James Harden did not play for Cleveland in the second game of a back-to-back.
Olivier-Maxence Prosper scored 24 points for Memphis, which finished 13-27 at home this season. Dariq Whitehead and Adama Bal each had 20 points off the bench with six 3-pointers. Lucas Williamson added five 3-pointers and 17 points.
Memphis opened the second half with its 14th 3-pointer — in just 28 attempts.
Up next
Cavaliers: Play Wednesday in the first of two games against Atlanta.
Grizzlies: Close the season with three road games, beginning in Denver on Wednesday.
