After a ruff start, the Sox are still a sad 6-9 but are only two games out of first place. Tonight, we ball behind Garrett Crochet to help close that gap in a wide-open AL East (and AL in general). Game’s at 7:40 p.m. and the Sox will face Bailey Ober, who’s had a tuff start to the season himself. Here are the lineups:
Given the venue, I’d like to add: Fuck ICE. Or maybe I’ll just let the Boss do it:
The Pittsburgh Pirates used a unique strategy with their young starting pitchers in 2025.
The team called up top pitching prospects Braxton Ashcraft and Bubba Chandler to make highly anticipated debuts — Chandler more than any rookie in the organization last season — but out of the bullpen.
To get acclimated to MLB hitters, Chandler and Ashcraft were used in bulk relief roles before entering the rotation at the back end of the season.
It worked for both pitchers, who are now fixtures in the current Pirates rotation.
The same can’t be said for Hunter Barco. Just because the strategy worked for some doesn’t mean it will work for all.
Prior to Monday night’s series opener against the Washington Nationals, the Pirates demoted Barco to Triple-A Indianapolis.
Left-handed bullpen arm Evan Sisk is joining the club for the first time.
Barco allowed at least one run in three of his four relief appearances. He allowed one in the seventh inning against the Chicago Cubs on Sunday as a part of the Pirates blowing a three-run lead when the ‘pen took over. The Pirates led 5-0 after the second.
Barco allowed one hit, walked two, and struck out one in 1.2 innings in the series finale. In seven total innings, Barco has allowed seven runs (five earned), walked five, and recorded five strikeouts.
He allowed three home runs in four games, totaling a 6.43 ERA and 2.14 WHIP.
Barco, 25, has the stuff to be a viable left-handed starting pitcher in the Major Leagues.
The former second-round pick only allowed three earned runs over 11.2 spring training innings and struck out 15, but also walked eight hitters.
Don Kelly told the media on Monday that the Pirates went to lengthen Barco as a starter. The Pirates are also running thin on innings and need a fresh arm, calling up the fellow lefty Sisk to fill the spot.
Kelly said the Pirates still view Barco as a starter, but he could come back to the MLB team this year in either role. Barco hadn’t pitched since April 4 until Sunday, and wasn’t pitching consistently.
In 27 games (23 starts) between Double-A Altoona and Triple-A Indianapolis in 2025, Barco finished 4-1 with a 2.81 ERA.
He very impressively didn’t allow a run in 25.2 innings over six starts at Double-A. Barco earned a 3.79 ERA and 1.37 WHIP over 73.2 innings in Indianapolis.
Sisk, 28, made his MLB debut with the Kansas City Royals before being acquired in the Bailey Falter trade.
In 14 outings with the Pirates, Sisk allowed six runs over 12.1 innings, walked five, struck out 14, and posted a 1.30 WHIP.
He allowed two runs (one earned) over 7.2 frames with the Indians this year before receiving the call.
The Pirates host the Nationals for the first of a four-game series at PNC Park, with Paul Skenes on the mound at 6:40 p.m.
The “One Big Inning” has become part of the D-backs’ collective psyche since Opening Day in Los Angeles. There, a pair of four-run frames represented the entire Dodgers offense in an 8-2 loss. Since then, it seems as if we’ve had the movie on repeat. A starter cruises, then the wheels come off. Or they get smacked about before they can settle in. Or a member of the bullpen has a really bad day. It’s not just fan bias. The Diamondbacks have allowed four or more runs in an inning nine times already. That’s most in the majors: the MLB average is only 3.4 OBIs per team. It’s an average of 4.9 runs per inning in those for Arizona, and OBIs represent 63% of all runs allowed by the D-backs. The average elsewhere? 0.2 runs per inning.
But it hasn’t actually hurt the Diamondbacks too much. There have been seven games where a severely crooked number has unfurled – two had more than one, the Opening Day contest and the 17-2 clobbering by Atlanta. But Arizona’s record in those is a reasonable 3-4. That’s a lot better than you would expect. Last year, we went 6-32 in such games, and the overall win percentage in the majors was a similar .154. That’s due to the “O” element this year. As samath noted in the comments on yesterday’s recap, the D-backs have put up a higher percentage of zeroes than anybody else. And in each of those three wins (9-6 and 7-5 vs DET, plus 5-4 vs PHI), Arizona didn’t concede a single run outside the OBI.
It also didn’t hurt that in two of them, the Diamondbacks’ offense had an inning of their own which was even bigger. They put up a six-spot in the 7-5 win over Detroit and, as I’m sure you remember, delivered Phillie cheese-steak tacos in the fifth inning on Friday. Those effectively canceled out the opposition’s productive frame. So far, the D-backs haven’t been quite as good on that side of the equation, posting only four big innings of their own. However, they have made them count, winning all of those games this season to date. Let’s hope we don’t have anything like the infamous Chicago game last year, where Arizona scored ten in one inning, and still lost…
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The NBA postseason is slated and the Western Conference is stacked, while the Eastern Conference looks like an open four-team race. Taking a look at the playoff teams as a conglomerate, I ranked the teams 1-20 and some of the seeds may come as a surprise. All betting odds are for NBA Finals winner and courtesy of DraftKings.
The chase for back-to-back NBA titles is going as advertised for Oklahoma City. At one point, the conversation around this team is would they break the Warriors 73-win record, but a 2-4 stretch in December into January put a halt to that. The Thunder would go on to finish January with a 9-6 record and since then, Oklahoma City is 26-5. The Thunder are rolling on all cylinders and own the league's No. 1 defense and No. 7 ranked offense led by eventual back-to-back NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Oklahoma City is listed as the favorites to win the NBA Finals (+110) and go back-to-back as champions. Despite Jalen Williams playing only 33 games, plus Alex Caruso (56), and Ajay Mitchell (57) missing more than 20 games — the Thunder have overcome injury concerns and are fully healthy entering the postseason. The addition of Jared McCain has also given this team a spark and another threat off the bench.
The biggest competitor to knock off the Thunder has to be the Spurs. Victor Wembanyama and San Antonio aren't scared of Oklahoma City and took it to the Thunder all season. The Spurs won four out of five meetings with the Thunder, but all those meetings came two-plus months ago.
San Antonio is the only other team to record 60-plus wins and one of the few teams to have seven players average double-digit points per game. The Spurs are deep and well put together as they can spread the floor and tap in both sides of the ball (top 5 in offensive and defensive rating.) It's important to be playing your best basketball as you enter the playoffs and the Spurs are certainly doing that with a 18-2 record over the last 20 games.
The best bet to win the East and represent the conference in the NBA Finals is the Boston Celtics. Joe Mazzula is coaching his behind off this season and this Celtics team has responded. Of course, this team will go as far as Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown can take them, but the development of two key players and a trade acquisitions give this team another gear.
Neemias Queta (doubled his PPG and RPG) and Payton Pritchard (career-high 17.0 PPG) have both stepped up significantly this season and the addition of Nikola Vucevic give this Celtics team the needed depth to make a run. Vucevic was involved in a trade that sent Anfernee Simons to Chicago, which was shocking after Boston traded for him this previous offseason, but it was a good move as Boston has enough guards and needed big man depth post life with Kristaps Porzinigs.
In return, Boston finished the year second in offensive rating and fourth in defensive, one of two teams (Celtics, Spurs) to finish top five in both. With Mazzula as arguably the best coach in the East and a dynamic duo of Brown and Tatum with plenty of role players — I have a hard time seeing another team beating the Celtics in a seven game series.
Denver is the third-best option to win the West in my opinion, but is the biggest question mark of the top six seeds. The Nuggets finished the regular season with the No. 1 rated offense and Nikola Jokic averaged a triple-double yet again, but the Nuggets defense ranks 21st in net rating, which is a serious problem.
The Nuggets have gone 0-3 versus the Thunder this year and 2-1 versus the Spurs, so the path to an NBA Finals appearance is anything but guaranteed. Nikola Jokic gives Denver a punchers chance, alongside Aaron Gordon who's having a great year, and Jamal Murray posting career-highs in points (25.4) and assists (7.1). But is that enough? I don't think so. Minnesota could certainly upset Denver in the first round, and if not, San Antonio is talented enough to take the Nuggets outside to the woodshed.
I feel like we should still be studying how the Knicks lost a playoff series to the Pacers, 4-2, last year, but I digress since it landed my name in a Netflix documentary for hating on the Pacers.
The Knicks are in a finals window right now and if they don't make an NBA Finals appearance this season or at the very least an Eastern Conference Finals, then this team and season was a disappointment. The additions of Jordan Clarkson and Jose Alvarado are supposed to bring this team added depth and rotational answers this postseason, but the jury is still out.
Clarkson is averaging a career-low 8.7 points in 17.8 minutes per game at age 33, while Alvarado is posting 6.1 points and 3.7 assist over 16.2 minutes with the Knicks. Neither player has been outstanding in their short tenures, but a big play or two in the postseason could land them more minutes behind Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges.
What's stopping the Knicks from another Eastern Conference Finals? The Celtics in the semifinals is likely the easiest answer. I think New York is on the outside looking in when it comes to championship hopefuls this postseason.
I'm sorry Pistons fans. The fact that I have the No. 1 seed in the East as my sixth-best team in the playoffs and third in the West is kind of a travesty mixed with disrespect. However, you have to consider last season, the Pistons' playoff history, and Cade Cunningham's health entering the postseason.
Detroit had a chance to send their first round series against New York to seven games, but a late turnover squashed those hopes. Outside of last year, the Pistons haven't made the playoffs since 2018-19 and those are the only two appearances over the past decade. The last time that Detroit made it to the semifinals was 2007-08, so history is not on Detroit's side, but I do think they get to at least the second round this year — but I have my doubts they get past the second round.
JB Bickerstaff has done a tremendous job with this roster and should win coach of the year, especially with what Detroit has done missing Cunningham for 20 games. Cunningham played 26 minutes in his first game from a collapsed lung injury and will be walking into the playoffs with only three games under his belt since March 18. That is a concern as he's the Pistons' engine, but as long as Detroit plays like the second-best defense in the NBA, they have a chance.
In three seasons with Donovan Mitchell at the helm, the Cavaliers have lost in the semifinals back-to-back years and in first round prior to that. Can this be the year Cleveland gets over the hump? Is the addition of James Harden enough?
With Harden in the lineup, Cleveland is 18-6 and he's averaged 20.6 points, 7.8 assists, and 5.0 rebounds per game. Harden isn't being asked to score as much or lead the offense as much as he was in Los Angeles, which is a positive at 36-years-old. However, Harden hasn't made it out of the second round (semifinals) since 2017-18. That's eight straight seasons of first or second round exits. The East isn't a breeze this year, but I'd have to rank Boston, New York, and Detroit ahead of Cleveland even with a healthy Harden.
After four straight years of missing the playoffs, Houston made it last year, but was bumped by the Warriors in the first round. This season, Houston is a No. 5 seed and big favorites against Los Angeles. The Rockets are significant favorites against the Lakers in the first round. Houston is -700 favorites, meaning you'd have to bet $700 to win $100 on Houston winning the series.
Kevin Durant being in the locker room gives the Rockets a boost and some much-needed leadership with Fred VanVleet out. Houston has one of the youngest starting lineups in the NBA and playoffs, which could be an issue deeper in the playoffs, like the second round against Oklahoma City, along with the fact that the Rockets played the easiest strength of schedule in the NBA.
On a positive note, Houston is one of six teams ranked in the top 10 for offensive and defensive net rating this season, while the Lakers are 10th offensively and 20th defensively. Houston should make the second round for the first time since 2019-20, but I don't see the Rockets advancing past Oklahoma City.
The sports books give seven teams a chance at wining the finals, listing them at +1500 or lower, but the Minnesota Timberwolves are not one of them. Minnesota is +6500 to win it all entering the postseason and considering this team made the conference finals the last two seasons — that is not good news. It's likely because Minnesota has the most challenging route to a finals. Minnesota will have to go through Denver, San Antonio, then Oklahoma City to make an NBA Finals, which I don't think anyone sees happening.
Minnesota is an underdog in the first round against Denver as a No. 6 seed, but that's nothing new. The Timberwolves were a No. 3 and 6 seed over the last two years and underdogs in the first round each season. The Timberwolves won each series 4-0 and 4-1 against the Suns and Lakers, but this year seems different. The dynamic duo of Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert appears to be coming to an end and I have my doubts that Anthony Edwards will be able to lift this team to a finals himself.
One of the biggest surprises of the season and playoff field is the Atlanta Hawks. With Trae Young being dealt, the Hawks were being written off, but they have made quite the run in the second half of the season in order to snag the No. 6 seed and win the Southeast division.
Atlanta went 20-6 over the second half of the season and won the division by 1.5 games. The Hawks will face the Knicks in the first round of the playoffs and listed as modest +230 series underdogs. The Hawks led by Jalen Johnson, CJ McCollum, and the likely winner for Most Improved Player, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Atlanta upsetting the Knicks would not be that big of a surprise.
Talk about down bad. Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) has been out since April 2. Reaves is two weeks into being out for approximately six weeks, so there is a chance the Lakers don't have Reaves for a single playoff game. While Doncic should be back for the postseason, he may not be 100-percent and that makes this Lakers' season seem like a lost year, which is not ideal for LeBron James.
The Lakers are listed at +25000 to win the NBA Finals after reaching +1500 before the Reaves and Doncic injuries. Meaning, the Lakers season is over and they have basically no chance of winning a title, which is sad considering this is LeBron's 23rd season. On the bright side, it's almost time to talk about where will be playing in 2026-27 every single day for the entire summer!
Who would have thought the Raptors would the No. 5 seed in the East this season? Toronto surprised many with their play as the trio of RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes, and Brandon Ingram has worked out better than expected.
However, there is a serious issue with this Raptors team and its the offensive production from the bench. Toronto's bench ranks 27th in the league for offensive net rating, but fourth defensively. This is the first playoff series since 2022-23 for Toronto and the only player remaining from that team is Barnes.
The winner of this series will face the No. 1 seed Pistons, who rank second overall in the NBA for defense and ninth offensively. The path to a finals would be the Knicks, Pistons, and Celtics, which all rank top seven in the Eastern Conference in defensive net ratings, as do the Raptors. I don't think Toronto will have enough offense, specifically from the bench to knock off those teams in a seven-game series.
The Clippers started the season out 6-21, so it's remarkable they finished above .500 and with a 36-19 record over the remainder of the season. Los Angeles enters the play-in with a 8-4 record over the last 12 games and has its trio of Kawhi Leonard, Benedict Mathurin, and Darius Garland are in tact and playing well together.
Los Angeles will have to win two games in order to make the playoffs to face the Thunder in the first round, but with Golden State and either Phoenix or Portland on deck, the Clippers have a fair shot of that happening. Just don't expect this Clippers' team to win a game if they face the Thunder in the first round.
Orlando was one of the biggest head scratchers this season. The Magic should have won 50-plus games, but losing six-straight games in March and seven out of eight took that and a division crown away. Luckily, Orlando is playing some of its best basketball entering the playoffs, The Magic have won six straight games and eight out of 10 going into the play-in tournament.
Orlando also has Franz Wagner back in the mix. Wagner missed most of February and all of March, but has returned for the last six games, which are all wins for Orlando. The Magic are 21-13 with Wagner in the lineup this season and with him, this team is at their best.
Unfortunately, Orlando going on multiple losing streaks of four or more games positioned themselves to play Detroit or Boston in the first round if they make out of the play-in, which is a losing recipe.
Can the splash brothers 2.0 make a run in the play-in tournament and postseason? The Hornets had a tremendous regular season compared to years prior and the addition of Rookie of the Year hopeful Kon Knueppel alongside LaMelo Ball has provided dividends to the development of this team.
Charlotte finished the season fifth in offensive net rating and 11th on defense, while playing at the second-slowest pace in the NBA. However, the Hornets did play the third easiest strength of schedule this season and went 11-5 versus the abysmal southeast division. In the last 25 games, Charlotte went 18-7, so they are playing their best ball of the season, but that may not be enough matchup against Detroit or Boston in the first round if the Hornets beat the Heat.
Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks are back together for a postseason run and play-in situation, so the Suns have hope to move past Portland. However, the winner will face the No. 2 seed San Antonio, and that surely will be a quick series in favor of the Spurs.
The Suns and Spurs split the regular season series 2-2 and both San Antonio losses had Victor Wembanyama in the lineup yet the Suns have the fifth-worst betting odds to win a championship.
Joel Embiid is expected to miss more hoops for the 76ers, and as usual, Philadelphia will only go as far as Embiid takes them. Philadelphia will get a glimpse of its future with Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe in a playoff setting versus the Orlando Magic. The winner of that game will face the No. 2 seed Boston Celtics. If the 76ers make it to the first round, they will likely be without Embiid, so this team will not go far.
Miami's highlight of the season obviously is Bam Adebayo scoring 83 points, but other than that, this Heat team has been hot and cold. Miami started off March on a six-game winning streak, but since then, the Heat have gone 5-10 over the next 15 games entering the playoffs.
In that 15-game span, Miami ranks 9th in offensive net rating, but 28th defensively. The Heat haven't been able to slow anyone down lately and that will be the downfall of this team. This is the fourth consecutive year that the Heat will be in the play-in game as they have gone 4-2 in that duration with three straight wins. This Heat team has plenty of experience in the play-in and hasn't lost the first play-in game yet, but that's the key word, yet. I think Charlotte beats Miami in the play-in and the Heat's season is over with a likely rebuilt coming.
This is Portland's first play-in or playoff appearance since 2020-21. Portland will face Phoenix for a chance to face San Antonio in the first round. Portland has the worst odds to win an NBA Championship of the entire field despite coming in hot at 7-3 over the last 10 games.
The Trail Blazers will get Damian Lillard back next season, and with another addition or two alongside Deni Avdija and Donovan Clingan, this Portland team could be taking a major step forward next year. This play-in and potentially playoff tournament will give Portland experience in this setting, which helps moving forward, but I don't expect this Blazers team to go anywhere.
Stephen Curry has been back for four games and averaged 20.3 points at 26.8 minutes per game. The Warriors star certainly gives them a boost in the play-in tournament versus the Clippers, but this roster needs Jimmy Butler, who won't be active.
The additions of Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford this season aren't enough to be successful. This is the third-straight season the Warriors are in the play-in tournament (1-1 in that span) and this may be the worst Warriors team in that duration and for the majority of Curry's career.
Follow my plays for the season on X @VmoneySports, Instagram @VmoneySports_ and Action App @vaughndalzell.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & team props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!
Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three Monday night games each week throughout the regular season. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presents doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game on NBC stations in the Pacific and often Mountain time zones.
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A simmering cricket feud boiled over into chaos in the Pakistan Super League, with New Zealand star Daryl Mitchell repeatedly refusing to face controversial spinner Usman Tariq mid-over in a dramatic on-field protest.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Anthony Davis' long-term future with the Washington Wizards isn't clear, but the star at least knows he's committed to the franchise for one more season.
Davis spoke fondly on Monday about his teammates on the Wizards and how he believes the team has pieces in place to build a competitor.
“When the trade happened and I got here, I’ve said this place is not what people make it seem,” Davis said. “It’s a testament to the organization, the coaching staff, the players, everybody here. I want to be able to have fun where I am. I want to be able to compete where I am. I want to be able to learn wherever I am — and this organization has that.”
The Wizards went 17-65 in 2025-26 — the worst record in the NBA and their third straight 64-plus loss season.
When asked at the season-ending news conference about his future in Washington, he joked that he obviously plans to play for the Wizards next season.
“Yeah, I'm under contract,” he said with a laugh. “I love my money.”
The Wizards acquired the 33-year-old Davis from Dallas in an eight player trade in February. That was about a month after Washington acquired high-scoring guard Trae Young from Atlanta.
Davis said Monday he's intrigued by Washington's young core of players and the foundation the front office has put in place.
Davis has been recovering from a sprained finger on his non-shooting hand since Jan. 8. He added he plans to meet with Wizards management soon about his future and the organizations’ plan for building a contender.
“They know that I want to win,” he said. "I’m sure that they want to win as well. Nobody wants to lose. ... I know we have a lot of young guys but like I said, I mentioned it about the young guys — how talented they are. Adding Trae and myself kind of can help change that.
“But I also understand I've been in this league a long time. I've been on losing teams, and it's very hard to be a losing team and then a championship contender.”
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
Location: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet-PIT
The Pittsburgh Pirates are at home hosting the Washington Nationals this evening at beautiful PNC Park, where they hope to raise the Jolly Roger.
Please remember our Game Day thread guidelines.
BD community, this is your thread for today’s game against the Washington Nationals. Enjoy!
Along with near-daily injuries suffered by the Orioles comes daily roster moves. The team made another flurry of moves to keep a healthy set of players up on the MLB roster ahead of Monday’s game against the Diamondbacks, with two players landing on the 60-day injured list, one getting selected from Norfolk to MLB, and another being acquired from outside the organization and sent to Triple-A.
The full set of moves:
Mountcastle going straight to the injured list due to his broken metatarsal shows that the team knows he will be out for quite a while. It’s uncommon even for serious injuries to have a guy go straight onto the 60-day, but in this case the team needed to make room on the 40-man roster just to add any infielder into the mix.
Wilson, 31, has appeared in parts of the last three seasons with the Phillies, playing a variety of infield and outfield positions while batting .242/.328/.428. It’s not a bad overall batting line, though his worst season was last year, the year that he played the most. He made enough of an impression in spring training for the Orioles to give him the chance here. Since he has a bit more defensive flexibility than Mountcastle, he might even play a bit more often. He was not hitting well in Norfolk at the time of this roster move.
Encarnacion-Strand, 26, was in “DFA limbo” after having been cast off by the Reds. He has also appeared in parts of the last three seasons, totaling a .233/.275/.404 batting line. In this instance, the Orioles probably grabbed him just to have a semblance of infield depth in case there’s another freak injury, because with Wilson in Baltimore, there’s basically nobody down there worth bringing up. Not that either Wilson or Encarnacion-Strand are guaranteed to prove to be worth bringing up.
Hiraldo had been on the 15-day injured list since April 5 due to shoulder inflammation. Moving him to the 60-day injured list opens up a spot on the 40-man roster, which they needed to bring in Encarnacion-Strand as infield depth. The 30-year-old righty had a rough first few outings this year before landing on the injured list.
Additionally, earlier on Monday, the Orioles recalled Dean Kremer from Norfolk and optioned Cade Povich to Norfolk. Everyone can stop wondering why Kremer is still in the minors now. Tough luck for Povich, who pitched quite well yesterday. It seems the team is not planning to do a six-man rotation after all.
One player who did not get added to the active roster is catcher Sam Huff, who is around on the taxi squad from Norfolk. It probably does not matter all that much whether Huff or Maverick Handley is the backup catcher for as long as Adley Rutschman is out.
Series defeat in Australia ‘a chance so blithely spurned’
Indian dominance and Starc’s sacrifice recognised
The latest edition of Wisden is unsparing in its criticism of England’s Test team, describing their Ashes defeat in Australia as a “wing-and-a-prayer” campaign that ended up “feckless, reckless and legless”.
Published this Thursday, the sport’s longstanding bible has a strong Indian flavour to its awards. Haseeb Hameed, captain of title-winning Nottinghamshire, is the sole Englishman among the five players of the year, with Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Siraj recognised for their roles in last year’s memorable 2-2 Test series draw in England.
Continue reading...CHICAGO (AP) — Blackhawks forward Frank Nazar lost two of his top front teeth when he was hit by a puck in the second period of Saturday’s 5-3 loss to St. Louis.
Nazar planned to play Monday night against Buffalo with a protective cage over his face.
“Got it pretty good, but could be a lot worse,” Nazar said. “So pretty thankful.”
The 22-year-old Nazar was sidelined for a month after he broke his jaw when he was hit in the face by a puck during a 6-4 loss at Ottawa on Dec. 20. He returned on Jan. 22 at Carolina.
Nazar, a first-round pick in the 2022 draft, has 15 goals and 26 assists in 64 games in his third NHL season. He agreed to a $46.2 million, seven-year extension with Chicago in August.
Defenseman Ethan Del Mastro also is expected to play against the Sabres. The 23-year-old Del Mastro was scratched on Saturday because of an unspecified injury.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL
New York Rangers goalkeeper Jonathan Quick is calling it a career after 19 NHL seasons and three Stanley Cup championships — with 16 of those seasons and two championships as a member of the Kings.
The 40-year-old goalie told reporters Monday that he would be playing in his final game that night when the Rangers visit the Florida Panthers. It will mark Quick's 921st game appearance, counting playoffs.
"Tonight will be my last game in the league, and I am looking forward to it," Quick said following the morning skate ahead at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla. "My wife flew down with the kids, my parents will be here. I am looking forward to this last one, try to get one more win here."
Read more:Anze Kopitar honored after Kings beat nemesis Oilers during regular-season home finale
He added of his decision: "It just felt right. Felt like the right time. I put some thought into it."
Selected by the Kings in the third round of the 2005 draft, Quick became a fixture in front of the net for L.A. during the 2008-09 season. He was a key member of the Kings' Stanley Cup champion teams in 2012 and 2014, earning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs with a 16-4 record, a .946 save percentage and 1.41 goals-against average.
Quick won a silver medal as a backup goaltender for the U.S. at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, although he did not see any playing time. At the 2014 Sochi Games, Quick went 3-2 as the starting goalie for the fourth-place U.S. team.
By March 2023, Quick was the Kings' leader among goalies in the categories of total games (743), wins (370) and shutouts (57). At age 37, however, he had also lost a step or two. The Kings traded him to the Columbus Blue Jackets, who turned around and dealt him to the Vegas Golden Knights the next day.
Read more:Elliott: Kings players and fans pay homage to Jonathan Quick and his legendary L.A. career
Quick saw a decent amount of playing time down the stretch in the regular season because of injuries to the Golden Knights' goaltenders. He didn't make it into any games during the team's championship run in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
After spending the last three seasons in New York, Quick is set to make his 70th and final start with the Rangers and add the final numbers to a stat line that currently includes 20,315 saves (18th most all time), 410 wins (12th most) and 65 shutouts (17th).
“He earned the respect of his teammates, coaches and staff members through his work ethic and dedication to his craft,” Rangers general manager Chris Drury said in a statement posted on social media. “Jonathan is a special person and player, and the entire Rangers organization wishes him — along with his wife, Jackie, and three children, Madison, Carter and Cash — all the best in retirement.”
The Rangers are 33-38-9 and will miss the playoffs for the second straight season. They finish the year Wednesday night at Tampa Bay.
Another key member of the Kings championship teams, Anze Kopitar, also is retiring after this season, following 20 years in the NHL, all with L.A.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Luka Doncic will be back for the beginning of the Lakers' playoff run. Just not on the court.
The Lakers' superstar will rejoin the team by Friday after traveling to Spain to receive specialized treatment on his Grade 2 hamstring strain, a source familiar with the situation confirmed to The Times, but there is no timetable for Doncic’s return to the lineup.
Doncic suffered the injury in a game against Oklahoma City on April 2. A Grade 2 strain typically requires four to six weeks of recovery, but Doncic traveled to Europe to receive injections on his left hamstring with the hope of speeding up the recovery process.
The Lakers (53-29) face the Houston Rockets in Game 1 of the first round on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at Crypto.com Arena. The fourth-seeded Lakers are looking for their first playoff series win since 2023.
Read more:Inside Luka Doncic's high-stakes medical treatment and recovery plan
They are underdogs without Doncic and guard Austin Reaves, who suffered a Grade 2 left oblique strain in the same game. Doncic led the league in scoring with 33.5 points per game. Reaves, the team’s second-leading scorer at 23.3 points per game, was initially expected to miss four to six weeks with his injury, and is working hard to come back, a source told The Times. There is still no official timetable for his return.
The Lakers finished the season with three consecutive wins to hold onto home-court advantage in the first round. LeBron James reasserted himself as the team’s top player, averaging 25.5 points, 11 assists, 6.8 rebounds and 2.5 steals in the games since Doncic and Reaves were injured. He was named Western Conference player of the week Monday after leading the Lakers to a 3-1 record in the final week of the regular season.
The Lakers went 2-1 against the Rockets (52-30) during the regular season, but Doncic played a major role in the two wins. He scored 76 points in the victories, which came in a two-game series in Houston that resembled a playoff atmosphere in March.
The Rockets finished the season with nine wins in their last 10 games.
Staff writer Broderick Turner contributed to this report.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Chants of “Daniel Farke, Daniel Farke” rang out from the travelling faithful after this seismic Leeds win lifted them six points clear of Tottenham, whose plight darkens further after the visitors pulled off a first league win at Old Trafford since February 1981.
It means Michael Carrick has lost a home game for the first time as Manchester United’s interim manager. His team lacked control throughout, a state not aided by Lisandro Martínez’s silly 56th-minute red card for yanking Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s ponytail, and he is now suspended for three matches, though the club may appeal.
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It’s that time again: the mega roundup to recap Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for the San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball affiliates. There will be a lot of words, so proceed with caution! Monday is an off day in the Minors, so all four teams will get back in action on Tuesday.
Link to the 2026 McCovey Chronicles Community Prospect List (CPL)
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
Only one piece of news: AA Richmond RHP R.J. Dabovich was placed on the 7-Day IL. That’s a big bummer, as injuries have really hurt the career of the 2020 4th-round pick. Dabovich, who is 27, had a healthy 2022, but has pitched just 18.1 innings since.
Friday: Sacramento River Cats beat the Las Vegas Aviators 11-0 [box score]
When all was said and done, Sacramento ended up playing just 1 game this “weekend,” and no games during the actual weekend. The storm that blew threw Northern California postponed Saturday’s game to Sunday, and then cancelled that doubleheader altogether. So it goes.
The River Cats made the most of their solo game, though, earning their 2nd consecutive shutout — a very impressive thing anywhere, but especially in the Pacific Coast League. That gave them a sweep in their truncated series against the A’s affiliate, and ran their winning streak to 6 games. Good times on the feeder team!
It was a boisterous day with the bats, as the River Cats bashed 16 hits and drew 7 walks. All eyes in Sacramento are on designated hitter Bryce Eldridge (No. 1 CPL), and I’m pleased to report that he had the best day of them all. Eldridge has started to catch fire, and that certainly was on display on Friday, when he went 4-5 with a double and a strikeout.
The contact was extremely loud for Eldridge, as his hits were, in order, a 99.2-mph single, a 109.4-mph single, a 101.9-mph double, and a 103.6-mph single. Goodness gracious!
Eldridge had a little bit of a slow start to the season, but in his last 3 games, he’s hitting 9-14 with 3 extra-base hits, which has pumped his OPS up to 1.012, and his wRC+ to 182. Will that be enough for the Giants to bring him up to help an offense that is on life support? I still think the answer is likely “no,” especially since Casey Schmitt is hitting so well while DH’ing in San Francisco. Ultimately, the Giants likely want to see Eldridge’s contact improve a little before he comes back to the Majors: he has a 30.2% strikeout rate, a 16th-percentile whiff rate, and a 19th-percentile in-zone contact rate.
Speaking of giving a boost to the Major League offense, the Giants sure are struggling to find hits from their outfielders. It seems unlikely that a roster move is going to be the fix there, since the team isn’t going to bench Harrison Bader, Jung Hoo Lee, or Heliot Ramos anytime soon, but right fielder Will Brennan just keeps hitting in Sacramento. On Friday he hit 3-5 with a double and a strikeout, which boosted his OPS to .938 and his wRC+ to 148. Brennan is certainly staying ready in AAA and is on the 40-man roster, though he is a 28-year old with a large MLB sample of being a below-average hitter, so I’m guessing the Giants are proceeding with caution there.
Second baseman Nate Furman (No. 39 CPL) and first baseman Jake Holton both had 3-hit days, with the former bopping a double and the latter drawing a walk. Each player is off to a tremendous start to the year in their debut AAA seasons: Furman has a .996 OPS and a 182 wRC+, while Holton is sporting a .929 OPS and a 177 wRC+.
But the biggest swing of the bat belonged to veteran catcher Eric Haase, who only hit 1-5 with 3 strikeouts, but drew a walk and smashed a 3-run home run.
Suffice to say, the Giants are not going to be looking to replace Daniel Susac (No. 20 CPL) with a more veteran option anytime soon, but the next team that only uses 2 catchers in a season will probably be the 1st, so Haase is great depth.
Another rough day for center fielder Grant McCray, who shockingly doesn’t have a hit since April 1, though he did draw 2 walks and steal a base in this game, while going 0-4 with 2 strikeouts. Since that April 1 game, the lefty is 0-20 with 9 strikeouts, though he’s drawn 8 walks.
It was a great pitching game, as the score would suggest, and it was entirely handled by players who are either on the 40-man roster, or were in play to make the Opening Day roster. Kicking things off was RHP Carson Seymour, who had a tremendous showing, tossing 4.2 shutout innings while allowing just 2 hits and 1 walk, and striking out 2. Seymour needed just 63 pitches to get his 14 outs, and threw 43 of those for strikes.
The typical strikeout stuff hasn’t really shown up for Seymour this year in his 1st 3 starts, as he’s K’d just 7 batters in 10.2 innings. But more importantly, he’s only allowed 6 baserunners (3 hits and 3 walks) during that time, and is still rocking a pristine 0.00 ERA. Given the Giants noted hatred of issuing walks, it’s fair to wonder if Seymour has temporarily surpassed LHP Carson Whisenhunt (No. 8 CPL) on the 6th starter depth chart, as Whiz has walked 9 batters in 11.2 innings.
Then it was RHP Spencer Bivens, who had a dynamic bullpen outing, throwing 2.1 scoreless innings with 2 hits, 0 walks, and 4 strikeouts. Bivens has just a 3.52 ERA and a 6.23 FIP through 5 appearances, but this was his 2nd straight excellent game, so perhaps he’s finding the stuff that landed him on the MLB roster for the entirety of the 2025 season. Notably — and very impressively — Bivens threw 25 of 31 pitches for strikes.
Finishing out the game was the duo of LHP prospect Juan Sánchez (No. 41 CPL) and veteran RHP Michael Fulmer. Each tossed a scoreless inning with a strikeout.
Friday: Richmond Flying Squirrels beat the Altoona Curve 11-2 [box score]
Saturday: Richmond Flying Squirrels beat the Altoona Curve 9-8 (10 innings) [box score]
Sunday: Richmond Flying Squirrels beat the Altoona Curve 2-1 [box score]
Like their big brothers in Sacramento, the Squirrels entered Friday’s game with a 5-game winning streak, scored 11 runs, and pushed that winning streak to 6. Unlike their big brothers, they played again on Saturday and Sunday … and extended the streak to 8 games (the poor Pirates’ affiliate, on the other hand, fell to 0-9 on the year).
It was not without drama, though, as Richmond ceded 2 runs in the top of the 10th inning on Saturday, before mounting a rally in the bottom half of the inning, which ended in a walk-off Dayson Croes fielder’s choice. Anything for the win!
The weekend was well-balanced for Richmond, with almost all their players contributing in some form or fashion, and nobody really having a star weekend. There was a star game, however, which came from the top prospect suiting up for the squirrels: center fielder Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL).
Davidson had an utterly dynamic Friday, hitting a solo home run in the 7th inning, and following it up with a 3-run blast just 1 inning later. Talk about a big day!
The undrafted lefty didn’t do too much over the weekend other than those big flies, as he went 4-12 with a sacrifice fly, an outfield assist, and 2 strikeouts … but that’s still a mighty fine weekend, and one that gives him an .854 OPS and a 113 wRC+ through 6 games this year. So far he’s picking up where he left off last year, and that’s a tremendous sign … doesn’t hurt that he can play defense pretty well, too!
Davidson wasn’t the only player to have a multi-XBH day, as his fellow outfielder Scott Bandura carried the team to victory on Sunday, hitting 2-3 with 2 doubles, a sacrifice fly, and a strikeout, while accounting for 50% of their hits, 100% of their extra-base hits, and 100% of their runs batted in.
Bandura, a 7th-round pick in 2023 out of Princeton, has been fairly tied at the hip to Davidson in terms of where they’re playing, as they were promoted at the same time last year. Their performance is mirroring each other, as well: after a 5-9 weekend that also included a stolen base, the 24-year old has an .804 OPS and a 120 wRC+. Will we see that pair handling the Sacramento grass at some point this season?
Speaking of outfielders, Turner Hill had yet another nice game, as the speedster attempts to play his way into the Major League depth chart in a Jared Oliva-esque role. The just-turned 27-year old UDFA, who played both corners this weekend but also can handle center well, hit 4-7 with 3 walks, a hit by pitch, a stolen base, and a strikeout.
It does feel like Hill, a lefty, will get a cup of coffee at some point, though he has to be a little frustrated that he’s still grinding away in AA. He posted a 107 wRC+ in 222 plate appearances at the level back in 2024, and then raised it to a 114 wRC+ in 314 plate appearances last year, with more walks than strikeouts. He’s back in Richmond for a 3rd stint and, for now at least, would seem to be the next man up if the River Cats need another outfielder.
One other note on Richmond’s hitters: Aeverson Arteaga started at third base twice, in addition to a game at shortstop. Once considered the best defensive shortstop in the system, Arteaga is now ceding much of the time at the position to Maui Ahuna (No. 33 CPL). That’s because Arteaga had a miserable 2025 and Ahuna is now just a better prospect, but it’s also worth noting that Arteaga took some steps backwards defensively a year ago.
Thankfully, Arteaga’s having a bounce-back year so far, as he went 3-9 with 2 hit by pitches and 2 strikeouts over the weekend, bringing his batting average to .286, his OPS to .730, and his wRC+ to 124. Great numbers? No. But after having a .189 average, a .508 OPS, and a 49 wRC+ a year ago, certainly a welcome sight. Arteaga’s story is far from being complete: he only just turned 23 (he’s a full year younger than Ahuna), so there’s plenty of time for him to recover from his miserable 2025.
On the pitching front, it was all about Sunday’s starter, RHP Darien Smith. A 26-year old undrafted free agent in just his 2nd pro season, Smith was utterly dynamic in his 2nd Richmond appearance, throwing 4.1 no-hit innings, while striking out 9 batters.
It was a case of being effectively wild for Smith, as he largely lived outside of the zone, with just 38 of 60 pitches going for strikes. Yet despite that, he only issued 1 walk … though that walk scored when LHP Cesar Perdomo gave up a rally after coming into the game, so Smith was left with the unfortunate 0-hit, 1-run outing.
Smith took a little bit of time to get his feet wet last year in Low-A, but really exploded in High-A, where he had a 2.59 ERA and a 3.12 FIP in 7 games, with 9.6 strikeouts and just 1.9 walks per 9 innings. The Giants have used him in a hybrid role throughout his brief tenure, and it doesn’t seem outside of the realm of possibilities that he could make the Majors in a year or two as a long reliever, especially if he can keep suppressing walks so gracefully.
The other starters had fairly uninteresting days. On Friday it was LHP Joe Whitman (No. 26 CPL), who gave up just 5 hits, 1 walk, and 2 runs in 5 innings of work, with 5 strikeouts. Pretty solid all around, though 3 of the 5 hits went for extra bases, including a home run. Still, that’s an encouraging outing for Whitman, who threw 44 of 65 pitches for strikes, as the 69th overall pick in the 2023 draft looks to pitch his way out of AA, after spending all of 2025 there. Through 2 starts, the 24-year old has just a 6.23 ERA, but a 3.24 FIP …. that’s not unusual for Whitman, who last year had a 5.29 ERA and a 3.61 FIP.
As was the case a year ago, Whitman’s issue is with giving up too many hits: he has 12 strikeouts against just 2 walks in 8.2 innings this year, which is phenomenal. But he’s allowed 9 hits, 4 of which have gone for extra bases.
On Saturday it was RHP Trystan Vrieling, who allowed just 2 hits in 5 innings, but walked 4 batters and gave up 2 runs, with 4 strikeouts. That set the stage for a funny day for the Squirrels pitchers, who only gave up 5 hits in the 10-inning game, but issued a dozen walks.
Like Whitman, Vrieling — the 100th pick in 2022 by the Yankees — is trying to work his way out of AA after spending (virtually) all of 2025 there. Not a great start to his 1st full year in the organization, though, as he has a 6.75 ERA and a 5.20 FIP through 2 starts.
Really nice relief appearances by a pair of older arms that the Giants signed out of indy ball: RHP Dylan Hecht, signed last season, threw 2 perfect innings with 2 strikeouts, while RHP Mitch White, who was signed this past offseason, gave up 1 walk in a shutout inning, with 2 strikeouts.
Friday: Eugene Emeralds beat the Vancouver Canadians 6-5 (10 innings) [box score]
Saturday: Eugene Emeralds beat the Vancouver Canadians 3-2 [box score]
Sunday: Eugene Emeralds lost to the Vancouver Canadians 8-5 [box score]
The Emeralds won 2 of their 3 weekend games, though it was fairly mild-mannered. The team was lacking in standout days and didn’t hit a home run … blame that cold Northwest air!
There was a really strong performance on the mound, thanks to Saturday’s starter, RHP Yunior Marte (No. 25 CPL). The 22-year old, whom the Giants acquired last year in the Mike Yastrzemski trade, made his 2nd High-A appearance and it went swimmingly, as he tossed 4.2 no-hit innings with 5 strikeouts. Marte was fairly wild, which has been a little bit of an issue for him in his short career: he walked 2 batters and also hit someone, while throwing just 46 of 74 pitches for strikes. That, combined with an error by his defense, put an unearned run on his ledger.
That certainly points to an area where the Giants will want and need Marte to improve, but it’s also abundantly clear that his fastball/slider combo plays very well. He’s not the most touted prospect that the Giants grabbed at last year’s deadline, but he sure was a nice addition who could end up being a really intriguing arm.
The other starters really struggled. LHP Luis De La Torre (No. 14 CPL) is hitting some bumps in the road as the 2025 breakout arm adjusts to a higher level. He pitched on Sunday and couldn’t find the strike zone, with just 33 of 64 pitches being strikes, while issuing 3 walks in as many innings. Still, LDLT showed off some of what makes him one of the top arms in the system, as he only allowed 2 hits (both singles) while striking out 4 batters in his 3 innings, though he gave up 2 earned runs.
Continuing the theme — or starting the theme, given that he pitched on Friday — RHP Hunter Dryden threw just 33 of 59 pitches for strikes, while allowing 3 walks and a hit batter in just 2 innings of work, though he only allowed 1 hit and 1 run, and struck out 3. Needless to say, there are some adjustments to make for the pitchers trying to tackle High-A for the 1st time!
A few relievers had nice games: RHP Trey Dillard, a 27-year old Minor League free agent, threw 3 no-hit innings with 1 walk and 4 strikeouts, while RHP Cade Vernon, a 10th-round pick in 2024, struck out 2 batters in 2.2 no-hit, no-walk innings, though 3 baserunners reached while he was on the mound, all via errors. RHP Austin Strickland pitched a perfect inning with 2 strikeouts, as the Giants hope he can blossom into a quality reliever so that they have something to show from the Joey Bart era. Unfortunately, RHP Liam Simon once again struggled to find the strike zone, as he gave up 2 hits, 2 walks, 1 hit batter, and 2 runs in an inning of work. Through 3 outings this year, Simon has allowed 7 walks, 2 hit batters, 10 runs, and 7 earned runs, while recording just 6 outs. He just can’t find his command following a string of injuries.
In the batter’s box, the stars were a pair of fairly unheralded infielders with 80-grade names: shortstop/second baseman Zane Zielinski, and second baseman Zander Darby. Zielinski, a 9th-round pick in 2024 who is repeating High-A after spending his entire debut season there, hit 5-10 with 1 double, 2 walks, 1 sac fly, 2 strikeouts, and 2 errors. After having a .642 OPS and an 89 wRC+ with Eugene last season, the 24-year old is sporting an 1.101 OPS and a 199 wRC+ through 7 games this year.
As for Darby, a 23-year old who was taken in the 12th round in 2024, he went 3-10 with 2 doubles, though he struck out 4 times. The left-handed hitter spent most of 2025 with Low-A San Jose, and struggled mightily during his month with the Emeralds. That’s not the case this year, however, as he’s rocking a 1.033 OPS and a 175 wRC+ through 7 games.
Quiet weekends for the top hitting prospects at the level, and they each got a day off. Shortstop/designated hitter Gavin Kilen (No. 7 CPL) hit 3-9 with a double, a sacrifice fly, and 2 strikeouts, and now has an 1.101 OPS and a 183 wRC+; center fielder/designated hitter Trevor Cohen (No. 15 CPL) went 0-8 with 2 walks and 1 strikeout, dropping his OPS to .628 and his wRC+ to 81; and center fielder Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL) hit 2-8 with 1 walk, 1 strikeout, and 1 stolen base, moving his OPS to .797 and his wRC+ to 105.
Friday: San Jose Giants beat the Visalia Rawhide 5-2 [box score]
Sunday Game 1: San Jose Giants beat the Visalia Rawhide 3-2 (7 innings) [box score]
Sunday Game 2: San Jose Giants beat the Visalia Rawhide 4-2 (7 innings) [box score]
Like Sacramento, San Jose had their Saturday game rained out … but unlike Sacramento, they were actually able to play the Sunday doubleheader.
Still, it was a relatively mild weekend, as the 7-inning doubleheader deprived us of 4 additional innings and, most notably, shortstop Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL) didn’t play at all. No word on what’s going on with Level though, thankfully, Roger Munter makes it sound like there’s likely nothing at all to worry about.
In Level’s absence, the standout offensive weekend belonged to first baseman/designated hitter Jeremiah Jenkins, who had one hell of a run over the 3 games, hitting 3-8 with a home run, a double, 2 walks, and 2 strikeouts.
A 14th-round pick in 2024, Jenkins — who turns 23 next month — struggled in San Jose last year, though he did a great job limiting his strikeouts. He’s off to a red-hot start this year, and has really been showing off his power, with 4 extra-base hits in 6 games.
Center fielder Andy Polanco had a nice weekend, continuing his strong start to the season. The soon-to-turn 21-year old, who was an 11th-round selection in 2024, hit 4-7 with a stolen base and 2 strikeouts, and now has a .924 OPS and a 145 wRC+ through 7 games. That’s quite a nice start given that he only had an 85 wRC+ in the Complex League last year in his debut. Critically, Polanco plays strong defense (though he committed an error on Friday), and has 4 stolen bases on the year.
But the star performance came on the mound, where RHP Argenis Cayama (No. 13 CPL) had his best performance since a late promotion to San Jose last year. Cayama took the mound on Friday and showed why the organization — and people outside of it — are so high on him, as he tossed 4 innings with 4 hits, 0 walks, 1 run, and a whopping 8 strikeouts. It was a tremendous display of strike-throwing, as Cayama threw 44 of his 55 pitches for strikes.
Cayama broke out in the Complex League last year with a brilliant 10.3 strikeouts and just 3.4 walks per 9 innings, numbers that took a huge hit upon his promotion to the Baby Giants. But this year? Through 2 starts he has 12 strikeouts in 7.2 innings …. and 0 walks. He did get hit hard in his 1st outing of the year, but that will happen occasionally. The Giants have to be thrilled with this start to the season for the hot prospect.
But while Cayama’s performance was the most exciting long-term, the most meaningful in the short term came on Sunday, when Major League LHP Sam Hentges kicked off a rehab appearance. You can’t really learn anything about someone rehabbing in Low-A, but it’s always better to be … well … better, and Hentges did that, retiring all 3 batters he faced, needing just 10 pitches, and recording a strikeout. San Francisco’s bullpen will look better when he’s in it, that’s for sure.
Finishing off the weekend was RHP Alix Hernandez, who had another fantastic game, striking out 4 batters in 2.1 no-hit innings, while issuing 1 walk. Hernandez, a 21-year old who was signed in 2022 out of Venezuela, has some mesmerizing stuff, but has struggled with both command and health. He’s off to a great start this year, with 8 strikeouts against 1 walk in 5.1 innings, and a clean 0.00 ERA through 3 outings.
2 — Bo Davidson x2 — [AA]
2 — Jeremiah Jenkins — [Low-A]
1 — Eric Haase — [AAA]
The 2025-26 NBA regular season has come to an end, and the playoff bracket is officially set.
Sixteen teams – 20, counting those participating in the Play-In Tournament – will now have the chance to make their pushes in the postseason with the hopes of an NBA title up for grabs. The final week of the season saw teams jostling for seeding, as they tried to improve their path forward.
The end of the regular season also meant that the 10 teams that were officially eliminated from postseason contention can formally plan for the 2026 NBA Draft.
Here are the final USA TODAY Sports’ NBA power rankings of the 2025-26 regular season:
Note: Records and stats through April 12. Parentheses show movement from last week’s rankings.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder, 64-18 (—)
2. San Antonio Spurs, 62-20 (—)
3. Detroit Pistons, 60-22 (—)
4.Boston Celtics, 56-26 (—)
5. Denver Nuggets, 54-28 (—)
6. New York Knicks, 53-29 (—)
7. Houston Rockets, 52-30 (+2)
8. Cleveland Cavaliers, 52-30 (-1)
9. Los Angeles Lakers, 53-29 (-1)
10. Minnesota Timberwolves, 49-33 (—)
There wasn’t very much movement in this group as teams at the top of the Eastern and Western Conferences more or less bunkered in. The Spurs got some good news with Victor Wembanyama’s rib injury, and the days off before the start of the postseason should provide invaluable rest.
Two teams out West, however, who finished the season strong were the Nuggets, who ended the campaign on a 12-game winning streak, including a victory over San Antonio to preserve the No. 3 seed, and the Rockets. Houston went 9-1 over its last 10 and now has a first-round matchup against the Lakers, who could be in trouble with the extended absences of NBA leading scorer Luka Dončić (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique strain).
11. Phoenix Suns, 45-37 (+1)
12. Toronto Raptors, 46-36 (+1)
13. Atlanta Hawks, 46-36 (-2)
14. Philadelphia 76ers, 45-37 (—)
15. Charlotte Hornets, 44-38 (—)
16. Los Angeles Clippers, 42-40 (+1)
17. Orlando Magic, 45-37 (-1)
18. Portland Trail Blazers, 42-40 (+1)
19. Miami Heat, 43-39 (-1)
20. Golden State Warriors, 37-45 (—)
Composed mostly of teams in the Play-In Tournament, this group will need to prove their worth by advancing in that bracket and then battling against the No. 1 and 2 seeds in the two conferences. One of the teams in the Play-In who finished strong was the Trail Blazers, winners of 10 of their last 14.
On the opposite end was the Magic, who inexplicably lost to a Celtics team that was sitting its top seven players in their rotation. As a result, the Magic dropped to the No. 8 seed and now have to travel to Philadelphia for their matchup in the play-in against the 76ers.
21. Milwaukee Bucks, 32-50 (—)
22. Chicago Bulls, 31-51 (—)
23. Dallas Mavericks, 26-56 (—)
24. New Orleans Pelicans, 26-56 (+1)
25. Memphis Grizzlies, 25-57 (-1)
26. Sacramento Kings, 22-60 (—)
27. Utah Jazz, 22-60 (—)
28. Brooklyn Nets, 20-62 (—)
29. Indiana Pacers, 19-63 (—)
30. Washington Wizards, 17-65 (—)
The season of tanking has mercifully ended, and now the lottery awaits. Practically all teams in this section of the list were playing for draft positioning, with the exception of the Pelicans, who don’t own their first-round selection. Yet, the biggest news out of this group is Doc Rivers stepping down as the coach of the Milwaukee Bucks. This raises questions about the future of Giannis Antetokounmpo, and whether the team can salvage its relationship with the star. Whom the Bucks eventually hire could be an indicator whether Antetokounmpo is put on the trading block this offseason.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA power rankings as 2025-26 regular season ends, NBA playoffs begin
