To make room for Luis Gil on the roster, the Yankees are reportedly designating right-hander Cade Winquest for assignment.
NY Post's Jon Heyman reported that the Rule 5 draft pick will be off the Yankees' roster when the transaction becomes official on Friday.
Back in Dec. 2025, the Yankees selected the 25-year-old in the Rule 5 Draft. Winquest earned the distinction of being the first player selected by the Yankees in this particular draft since 2011.
As a Rule 5 pick, Winquest had to make and stay on the Yankees' roster for the entirety of the 2026 season, or he would be offered back to the Cardinals. The right-hander made the team out of camp after seven spring games. In that span, Winquest allowed eight runs on 13 hits, four walks and eight strikeouts across 10 innings pitched.
Although Winquest was with the team, he did not make an appearance in the team's first 12 games.
Winquest was originally drafted by the Cardinals in the eighth round of the 2022 MLB Draft and did not make the big league club.
In 58 minor league games (38 starts) in the Cardinals system, Winquest pitched to a 4.19 ERA with 219 strikeouts in 212.2 innings.
Winquest finished the 2025 season at the Double-A level, appearing in eight games for Springfield with a 3.19 ERA in 42.1 innings.
Gil is set to make the start for the Yankees in Friday's series opener against the Rays and the Winquest move will be made official sometime before first pitch.
Anthony Kay bent but didn’t break, grinding through 5 2/3 scoreless to lead the Sox past Kansas City. | (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Pitching ruled the night, and the bats did just enough to drag the White Sox across the finish line, 2-0. Raise a glass: the South Siders finally snap that 14-game Kansas City curse.
This evening’s contest was influenced a little by the ABS, with a few calls overturned on both sides. It added a bit of rhythm disruption to an otherwise crisp, low-scoring, slow-moving game. A key moment was Edgar Quero winning a challenge strike three call in the bottom of the first after a very lengthy at-bat from Vinnie Pasquantino.
Chicago finally broke the stalemate in the fourth after a quiet start by both sides. Munetaka Murakami coaxed one of two walks on the night and then hustled home on a 106.6 mph rocket RBI double from Colson Montgomery, putting the Sox ahead 1-0.
The Good Guys tacked on another tally in the seventh, capitalizing on a little chaos. Who doesn’t love a little on-field turmoil? Two free passes, a throwing error by Vinnie Pasquantino, and a sacrifice fly from Luisangel Acuña made it 2-0. It felt delightful to take advantage of the other team’s mistakes for once.
On the mound, the South Side staff was good enough, but did have to work around quite a bit of traffic. Veteran Anthony Kay set the tone with a strong start, getting key swings and misses for 5 2/3 scoreless frames. The bullpen didn’t light itself on fire and kept the Royals off the board. Grant Taylor tossed 1 1/3, and Jordan Leasure managed a drama-free inning with just one walk in the eighth. Seranthony Domínguez came out and slammed the door in the ninth.
KC had more than a few chances with baserunners everywhere. Bobby Witt Jr. provided most of the spark and did his best to play spoiler with a double, steal, and single, but thankfully for the White Sox, the Royals just weren’t able to cash it in. With the victory, Chicago snaps their three-game losing streak and improves their record to 5-8. The club will be back at it tomorrow at 6:40 p.m. CST with Davis Martin on the bump.
Detroit Red Wings team captain Dylan Larkin, who is battling through injury, came through for his team in a major way on Thursday evening.
Larkin netted the third hat trick of his NHL career, helping the Red Wings earn two badly-needed points in the standings with a 6-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers at Little Caesars Arena.
In doing so, Larkin has now established a new career-high in goals with 34, besting his previous top output of 33 goals in 2023-24.
With the win, the Red Wings remain mathematically alive in the tightly packed race for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, with just three regular-season games remaining; they're still three points behind the Ottawa Senators, who defeated the Florida Panthers, for the second and final Wild Card spot.
The Red Wings opened the scoring early in the first period on the power-play thanks to the 40th tally of the season from Alex DeBrincat; he became the first Red Wings player since Marian Hossa in 2008-09 to register 40 goals.
However, the Flyers tied it later in the frame after Christian Dvorak deflected a shot from former Michigan State Spartans forward Porter Martone.
Detroit's offense caught fire in the second period, fueled by goals from defenseman Moritz Seider and the first of Larkin's eventual three.
Just 18 seconds after Seider's goal, Larkin beat Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar blocker-side from in tight on the power play, then later slipped the puck five-hole on a partial breakaway just moments after exiting the penalty box.
Larkin completed the hat trick on a two-on-one rush, taking a pass from Seider and beating goaltender Samuel Ersson (who had replaced Vladar) with a top-corner snipe. It took several minutes for the ice crew to clear the hats that rained down from the fired-up crowd.
Detroit also got a third-period goal from Patrick Kane, who converted off a beautiful cross-ice feed from Simon Edvinsson.
Former Red Wings forward Luke Glendening scored his second goal of the season late in regulation, making the score look slightly better for Philadelphia.
Both teams utilized both of their goaltenders. John Gibson was shaken up in the second period after Owen Tippett collided with him; he departed after making 13 saves. In relief, Cam Talbot stopped 11 of 12 shots.
Meanwhile, Vladar was pulled after allowing four goals on eight shots; Ersson stopped 12 of 14 shots.
Up next for the Red Wings is the New Jersey Devils on Saturday evening at home in another must-win contest.
Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Apr 9, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals designated hitter Jac Caglianone (14) reacts after striking out in the fourth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-Imagn Images | Peter Aiken-Imagn Images
You can’t win if you don’t score.
For the second time this season, the Royals failed to score a run in a game. A 2-0 loss to the White Sox drops Kansas City to 5-8.
It’s the Royals’ third straight loss, and in that time, the offense has averaged a single run per game.
Tonight, the Royals faced lefty Anthony Kay, who came it having not yet reached five innings in an outing sporting a FIP near seven while not winning a Major League game since 2021.
He looked dominant tonight. Against left-handed batters, he retired all seven he faced with six strikeouts. He pitched 5-and-2/3 innings, allowing only three hits and two walks. His offense didn’t give him much against Seth Lugo, but tonight, Kay didn’t need much help.
Lugo continued his strong season with 6-and-1/3 innings while allowing two runs (only one earned) while striking out four. He allowed four hits and walked four.
He also benefited from some stellar defense from Maikel Garcia:
The White Sox scored their first run in the top of the fourth when Colson Montgomery doubled home Munetaka Murakami. Lane Thomas took a very curious route to the ball, not only failing to catch it but also allowing it to get by him and reach the wall.
Colson Montgomery sends one to the gap as Munetaka Murakami races home from first to give the @WhiteSox the lead! 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/NWEaIwS4Ss
The scored remained 1-0 until the seventh when Luisangel Acuna hit a sacrifice fly to right off John Schreiber, allowing Andrew Benintendi to come home.
Royals batters only managed five hits for the night, the best of them a 113-MPH line drive off the left field wall by Bobby Witt Jr. for a double. Another foot or so higher and it would’ve been a home run. Aside from that, the Royals managed four other hits—another by Bob, two by Garcia, and one by Thomas. They also managed four walks, including one to start the ninth.
In the end, the Royals stranded 11 baserunners while going 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
Mother Nature pending, they’ll get another crack at the White Sox tomorrow night as they look to snap their three-game skid and even up the series.
NEW YORK (AP) — Obi Toppin had 26 points and nine rebounds and seven Indiana players scored in double figures as the Pacers snapped a three-game skid with a 123-94 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night.
The Pacers (19-61) won for the fifth time in 27 games. Indiana was without head coach Rick Carlisle, who missed the first of two games to attend his daughter’s spring formal. Lloyd Pierce handled the coaching duties.
Micah Potter had 18 points and 14 rebounds, Ethan Thompson added 15 points and Jarace Walker and Jay Huff each added 14. Jalen Slawson and Quenton Jackson finished with 12 points apiece.
E.J. Liddell led the Nets (20-59) with 26 points and 10 rebounds. Ben Saraf scored 19 points and Tyson Etienne added 14 for Brooklyn, which shot 37 for 96 (37%) from the field and had its two-game winning streak halted.
The Pacers raced to a 31-14 lead in the first quarter, led 63-37 at half and carried a 26-point (98-72) advantage into the fourth quarter.
MONTREAL (AP) — Cole Caufield became the first Montreal player to score 50 goals in a season in more than three decades and Juraj Slafkovsky scored a tiebreaker with just over a minute remaining as the Canadiens beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in a fight-filled game Thursday night.
Slafkovsky scored his 30th at 18:56 of the third period and Nick Suzuki had two assists to raise his season total to 70 for Montreal (47-22-10). Jakub Dobes made 17 saves for his seventh consecutive win.
Darren Raddysh scored for Tampa Bay (48-25-6), which lost its third straight game. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 19 shots.
Caufield beat Vasilevskiy with a wrist shot at 6:29 of the second period for the milestone goal in front of a frenzied crowd at the Bell Centre that included Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Caufield became the seventh Canadiens player to hit the 50-goal mark, and the first since Stéphane Richer in 1989-90.
Raddysh tied the game with 1:51 remaining in the third period with the goalie pulled before Slafkovsky scored with 64 seconds left on a pass from Suzuki.
The Canadiens, Lightning and Buffalo Sabres are locked in a three-way race for first place in the Atlantic Division with three regular-season games remaining for Montreal and Tampa Bay, and two left for Buffalo. Montreal moved two points ahead of Tampa Bay and two behind Buffalo for the division lead.
The game featured several scrums after the whistle, a spirited fight between Montreal’s Josh Anderson and Tampa Bay’s Declan Carlile, and seven 10-minute misconducts — culminating in 126 penalty minutes. The second period alone had more than 100, with players packing in to both penalty boxes.
Up next
Lightning: At the Boston Bruins on Saturday afternoon.
Canadiens: Host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - JANUARY 26: Jarrett Allen #31 (C) celebrates with Jaylon Tyson #20 and Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during player introductions before the game against the Orlando Magic at Rocket Arena on January 26, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. 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. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers are balancing getting reps together before the playoffs and trying to go into the postseason completely healthy. On Wednesday, that meant playing all available players in a game that doesn’t have too much significance for the Cavs in the standings. On Friday, that means resting several key players in their rematch with the Atlanta Hawks.
The Cavs will be without the services of Donovan Mitchell (right ankle injury management), Jarrett Allen (right knee injury management), and Sam Merrill (left hamstring injury management). This is in addition to Thomas Bryant missing the game with a left calf strain.
Anything bought from the links helps support Fear the Sword. You can buy the Mark Price shirt HERE. You can also shop all of Homage’s Cavs gear HERE.
Cleveland didn’t go with a vanilla game plan in their win on Wednesday. There’s reason to believe they’ll go for it again, just with fewer key contributors available.
No one is 100% at this time of the season, but it is fair to point out that Allen and Merrill have been playing through injuries recently.
Allen hasn’t looked like himself since returning to the lineup from a knee injury that kept him out for a few weeks. He mentioned after his return to the lineup from that injury that he was playing through some pain. Given how important he is to the Cavs’ playoff ceiling, it would make sense to rest him until the playoffs begin next weekend.
Merrill has also been fighting through various injuries throughout the season. The hamstring injury is just the one listed on the injury report right now.
Whether or not Mitchell is as injured as the other two is unknown. He twisted his ankle on Sunday in the win over the Indiana Pacers, but has since denied that he was injured in any way. Resting a star player for a game like this makes sense. I’m not sure it’s worth reading into too much.
The Cavs do have some good news on the injury front. Jaylon Tyson has been upgraded to questionable. He could make his return to the lineup on Friday. On Wednesday, head coach Kenny Atkinson said that the reason he wasn’t playing then was more related to conditioning than any concerns about the toe.
The Hawks will be fully healthy, except for Jock Landale, who will miss the game with a right high ankle sprain.
Knoxville Smokies infielder Jefferson Rojas (2) slides away from home plate after being called out during Opening Day for the Knoxville Smokies at Covenant Health Park against the Birmingham Barons on April 3, 2026. | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Iowa Cubs
Rained out. Doubleheader starting at 5:08 tomorrow.
The Trash Pandas jumped all over Smokies starter Luis Martinez-Gomez with two runs in the first, one in the second and two more in the third. The final line on Martinez-Gomez was five runs on five hits over four innings. He walked two, struck out one and gave up a two-run home run in the third inning.
Vince Reilly pitched the eighth and ninth innings and got the win. He did not allow a hit or a run, although he did walk one. He faced the minimum thanks to a fantastic diving catch and double play by third baseman Karson Simas. Reilly struck out two.
The Smokies trailed this game 7-0 after five and a half innings, but they scored three in the bottom of the sixth and five in the bottom of the eighth to stage an improbably comeback.
First baseman Devin Ortiz hit a three-run double in the sixth. He also chipped in an RBI single in the eighth. His final line was 2 for 4 with the double and four RBI. He scored once.
Shortstop Jefferson Rojas hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth to give the Smokies the lead. It was Rojas’ third home run this year. He was 1 for 4 with a walk.
Left fielder Jordan Nwogu went 2 for 4 with a triple.
Here’s the Rojas home run.
Jefferson Rojas goes the other way on a 3-run home run to give the Smokies an 8th-inning lead.
He is 9-for-27 with 3 HR, 2 2B, and 10 RBI through his first 6 games.
Great to see him having success in Double-A after his struggles at the level last year. pic.twitter.com/Pi6Iw5OG3n
Kevin Valdez made his season debut tonight by pitching 3.2 scoreless innings to start the game. Valdez allowed three hits. He struck out five and walked two.
Ethan Flanagan’s season debut could have gone better. After Grayson Moore gave up two runs in relief and South Bend tied it back up, Flanagan gave up three runs on five hits over 2.1 innings. Two of the five hits were home runs. Flanagan walked two and struck out three.
Catcher Owen Ayers hit his first South Bend home run with the bases empty in the fourth. He also singled and scored in the eighth. Ayers went 2 for 3 with a walk and the two runs scored.
Second baseman Drew Bowser tied it up 2-2 with a solo home run in the seventh. Bowser went 1 for 4.
Third baseman Reginald Preciado went 3 for 4. He singled home Ayers in the eighth.
Rowell Arroyo came on to pitch the sixth inning and allowed a runner to go to third with one out after fielding a dribbler in front of the mound and throwing the ball down the right line. The runner would score the only run of the game on a fielder’s choice. The final line on Arroyo was one unearned run on one hit over two innings. He walked two and struck out one.
Second baseman Jose Escobar singled to lead off the sixth inning. That was the only Pelicans hit of the game. Escobar was 1 for 3.
Josiah Hartshorn had the night off, so that didn’t help the offense.
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 9: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics drives to the basket during the game against the New York Knicks on April 9, 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Boston Celtics traveled to New York to play the Knickerbockers for their 79th game of the season. Boston needed just a single win to secure a second place birth in the Eastern Conference playoffs. In a classic regular season contest, both team’s had runs and chances to close it out, but it was the Knicks who prevailed downt he stretch, 112-106.
Prior to the tip, Jaylen Brown was ruled out of the clash with left Achilles tendinitis. The starting five for Boston would be Derrick White, Sam Hauser, Neemias Queta, Jordan Walsh, and Jayson Tatum. Jayson Tatum would return to the scene of his traumatic knee injury last season. For the Knicks, they started OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, and Jalen Brunson.
Mikal Bridges hit the game’s first three shots as the Knicks jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead. Tatum scored Boston’s first two points of the game with a steal at half court and a layup. Tatum spun on Josh Hart and was fouled driving to the cup on another layup. Jordan Walsh got the nod ahead of Baylor Scheierman, who filled in for Jayson Tatum for much of the year; he hit his first three-pointer from the corner, game tied at 7.
Both teams traded buckets before Queta scored inside off a Tatum lob, with the C’s up 13-11 with 6 minutes to go in the quarter. Tatum had the ball in his hands for most of the first quarter and was picking apart the Knicks’ D. Derrick White had a pull-up jumper for his first two of the game. Payton Pritchard entered the game for Tatum and immediately hit his first shot, Boston up by 6 points, 19-13.
The Knicks were having a rough shooting start; they were just 5 of 13 to start the game and just 1 of 7 from downtown. Pritchard was having an early impact; his three quick buckets gave him the confidence to start talking trash at center court, presumably in the direction of Spike Lee. Pritchard drained a triple as the shot clock expired in the first quarter.
The Knicks rallied to start the second quarter with some good minutes from bench players Mitchell Robinson, Landry Shamet, and Jordan Clarkson. They took the lead back 31-35 with nine minutes to play in the first half. Boston was just 0-4 to start the third; Pritchard finally broke the drought with a back-cut score.
NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 9: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics drives to the basket during the game against the New York Knicks on April 9, 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Boston countered the Knicks with a nice 7-0 run, Sam Hauser draining a triple to make it all square at 40 apiece. Both teams slogged it out to finish the half, a very even contest. Brunson was the driving force for the Knicks with 16 first-half points; OG Anunoby had 10 points for the home team. For Boston, Tatum was filling the stat sheet; he had 10 points, 9 boards, and 4 assists. Payton Pritchard was the team’s leading scorer at halftime, with 15 points on 7-12 shooting. It would finish New York with 52 points and Boston with 51 points at the half.
New York was white hot to start the third; they reeled off 4 straight three-pointers as Boston was struggling to stay with the open shooters. Joe Mazzulla burned a timeout at the 9-minute mark, the Knicks starting to pull away from Boston 57-66. NY got the lead out to 13 points, Mazzulla needing to call another timeout, as KAT was starting to attack the bucket and Boston’s D was starting to fall apart.
Boston finally got going in the third, with Tatum and Pritchard fueling the C’s to a 10-0 run. Vooch got in on the act, hitting his first three-pointer of the game. Baylor Sheierman had a dagger triple on the break, Tatum finding him with a deft pass out wide on the left wing, Boston down just 4 points with 3 minutes to go in the third, 72-76.
A Nikola Vucevic triple got it back to just one point; a play later, Pritchard laced his 21st point of the game with a triple, Boston up by 2 points, 78-76. Both teams once again traded buckets after going on mini runs, setting up the game for a big fourth quarter, with Boston by just 2 points, 83-81.
Baylor Scheierman was showing out in the Big Apple 🍎; he hit his fourth triple of the game to start the fourth quarter on a relocation triple. Tatum returned to the game, replacing DWhite. Boston’s bench was outstanding in this game; they had 43 points compared to the Knicks’ 18. Tatum had 6 straight points for the road team, Boston up 92-87 with a ton of time to go.
A Josh Hart corner triple cut Boston’s lead back to 2 points; it was very rowdy at MSG. New York was leading the battle in the paint with KAT and Robinson; they had 38 points to Boston’s 28 points.
Apr 9, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) high fives Boston Celtics center Neemias Queta (88) during the first half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Boland-Imagn Images | Lucas Boland-Imagn Images
Scheierman laced another triple for Boston, KAT hit back with one of his own, the lead see-sawing, Knicks up by 1 point, 98-99. Baylor’s fifth three-pointer of the night had the New York crowd stunned, both team’s throwing hay makers.
Turnovers started to hurt the C’s for Boston late, but Baylor Scheierman was still hawt, he nailed yet another three-pointer to give Boston the lead back. Scheierman had 24 points from Boston bench but it was a one point game with the Knicks ahead and a minute and a half to go.
Derrick White rimmed out a triple with a minute to go in the game he struggled all game with just one made field goal, Josh Hart converted his to make it a 5 point game, 104-109 New York. Nikola Vucevic converted on a offensive rebound to cut it to 3 points. Josh Hart hit his fifth three-pointer to seal it. Boston drop a heart breaker with their All-NBA player Jaylen Brown watching on.
Boston will next play the NOLA Pelicans tomorrow at home at 7:30pm EST.
In what felt like a playoff atmosphere, the Knicks held on to a 112-106 win over the Celtics on Thursday night at MSG.
Josh Hart scored 15 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter to lead New York to a big win against their conference rivals. With the win, the Knicks remain within reach of the Celtics for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.
The Knicks (52-28) have surpassed the win total from last season with two games to go.
Here are the takeaways...
-The Knicks' plan to start was to attack in transition, with Mikal Bridges scoring the first seven points of the game. The Celtics responded with a 9-0 run to tie the game with good defense and offensive rebounding. Boston would build a seven-point lead midway through the first frame thanks to outhustling the Knicks and getting every 50-50 ball, but New York would make their run.
The first quarter ended with Payton Pritchard and Jalen Brunson trading threes in the final minute as the Celtics led 29-26 at the end of one.
Pritchard was the catalyst for the Celtics' offense in the first. He put up 11 points in six minutes off the bench to lead the team. The Knicks were shooting just 34 percent when Boston had their biggest lead, but bounced back and finished the frame with 45 percent shooting. Brunson led the team with 10 points.
-The Knicks got out to a 7-0 run to start the second (10-0 run from the end of the first) to retake the lead. Both offenses will settle down, as they traded leads throughout the quarter. Karl-Anthony Towns wouldn't get his first points until midway through the second, but it wouldn't be his last. The two-man game between him and Brunson was effective and helped give the Knicks a five-point lead in the waning minutes, but a late surge by the Celtics helped them to trail by just one at halftime.
Pritchard (15) and Tatum (10) led the Celtics as they outrebounded the Knicks 29-25 after two quarters. Brunson (16) and OG Anunoby (10) led the Knicks in scoring.
-The Knicks built up a nine-point lead in the opening minutes of the third because of the three-point shot. That lead would balloon to 13 as Towns started to take over the game with his rebounding and drives to the basket. The Celtics responded after a timeout halfway through the third with a 10-0 run as their threes began to fall. That run extended to 19-4 as they retook the lead with two minutes remaining. Boston took that momentum to end the third with an 83-81 lead.
-The Celtics would get out to a seven-point lead early in the fourth as the Knicks could not get a stop. The Knicks made a run of their own to cut the deficit to two points with seven minutes remaining. Both teams traded buckets with New York taking advantage of Boston's turnovers to hold a 106-104 lead with 1:26 remaining in the game.
Hart hit two threes in the final minute to help the Knicks pull out the win.
-Hart finished with 26 points on 10-for-15 shooting (5 of 7 from three). Towns posted 16 points and 12 rebounds while Brunson had 25 points and 10 assists.
-The Celtics were without Jaylen Brown, and Tatum returned to MSG for the first time since tearing his Achilles in the playoffs last year. Tatum finished with a team-high 24 points on 7 of 22 shooting, 13 rebounds and eight assists. Pritchard scored 23 points in 35 minutes off the bench. Baylor Scheierman helped keep the Celtics in the game in the fourth with his three-point shooting. He finished with a season-high 20 points and went 6 of 7 from downtown.
Game MVP: Josh Hart
Hart's scoring in the second half, and especially in the fourth, pushed the Knicks over the top. His defense on Tatum also helped finish up the win.
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Fabian Zetterlund scored a pair of goals and the Ottawa Senators moved closer to securing a playoff berth with a 5-1 win over the Florida Panthers on Thursday night.
The Senators hold the second and final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, leading the New York Islanders by three points with three games remaining. Ottawa plays at New York on Saturday. The Senators are two points back of Boston for the first East wild card.
With their third straight win, the Senators (42-27-10) wrapped up their five-game homestand with a 4-1-0 record, with the lone loss coming against Minnesota.
Drake Batherson, Artem Zub and Claude Girot also scored for Ottawa, and Linus Ullmark made 21 saves. Jesper Boqvist scored for the defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers, who have been eliminated from playoff contention.
Ottawa added reinforcement to its blueline, with Thomas Chabot returning exactly two weeks after having surgery for a broken arm. Chabot was initially expected to miss four to eight weeks.
Ottawa took a 3-0 lead 3:03 into the third period. Zub grabbed a rebound of a shot by Jake Sanderson and snapped a shot to the far side to beat Sergei Bobrovsky, who stopped 25 shots.
The Panthers finally solved Ullmark at 14:17 of the third. A.J. Greer found Boqvist at the top of the slot and Boqvist squeezed a shot under Ullmark’s right arm.
Giroux added an empty-netter with 3:17 remaining to put any hope of a comeback out of reach. Nineteen seconds later, Zetterlund scored his second of the game.
The Senators have outscored opponents 17-6 during their three-game winning streak.
Florida recalled defensemen Marek Alscher and Ludvig Jansson from their American Hockey League affiliate. The two made their NHL debuts.
Up next
Panthers: At Toronto on Saturday.
Senators: Visit the Islanders on Saturday as they seek to solidify their playoff position.
BROOKLYN, NY - APRIL 9: Ben Saraf #77 of the Brooklyn Nets dribbles the ball during the game against the Indiana Pacers on April 9, 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
I arrived at the corner of Atlantic and Flatbush a bit earlier than usual this afternoon. With 15 minutes to spare before doors opened up, I sat down outside Fini Pizza and inhaled a pepperoni slice. I felt a clam breeze as the sun shined down on me through the oculus. I heard birds chirping even as The Strokes hummed through my ear buds.
And for a brief moment, I forgot all about “tanking” despite being a mere 10 feet from its epicenter this week.
Like we did on Sunday and Tuesday, we’ll call tonight’s game what it was. Jordi Fernández is right each time he insists that all minutes at the NBA level matter, but the only concrete, tangible thing to be gained tonight were better odds to land a top pick in the upcoming draft lottery. The Nets came into tonight with only a half game cushion between them and the threshold for top odds at the number one overall pick this summer. The visiting Indiana Pacers sat two games ahead.
Both teams knew what was at stake, despite whatever rhetoric they’ve used to describe their rotations over the past few weeks.
This time, Brooklyn sat Nolan Traoré (rest), Josh Minott (left ankle soreness), Terance Mann (right patella tendinosis), Noah Clowney (left ankle injury management), Ziaire Williams (left foot tenosynovitis/bursitis), and Nic Claxton. They joined the expected crew of Danny Wolf (ankle), Michael Porter Jr. (hamstring), Day’Ron Sharpe (thumb), and Dëmin (foot), leaving Brooklyn with eight inactives.
The Pacers sat Pascal Siakam, Aaron Nesmith , Andrew Nembhard, T.J. McConnell, Ivica Zubac, Johnny Furphy, Kobe Brown, Ben Sheppard, and of course, Tyrese Haliburton.
Yeah, they even sat their head coach, in a sense. Rick Carlisle missed tonight’s game and will miss the next to attend a school event for his daughter.
But tonight was also the home finale, and Fan Appreciation Night. For as much flack as this Brooklyn crowd gets for the hospitality it extends to visiting teams, seated fans for teams like this, at this point, in this kind of a season, are difficult to come by. Even if they were tourists simply looking to experience our city’s game at a discount, casuals hoping to score a Steph Curry or Luka Doncic autograph, or true team supporters, they were here, and deserve a nod for that.
“Yeah, I mean the loyalty and the support has been amazing, especially going into a season that we didn’t win a lot of games, but all our guys worked and played hard, got better, and to feel the support for what we’re trying to do and the plan we have is pretty special,” Fernández said pregame. “So, I appreciate them showing up, and the way we play is because we feel that support.”
Indeed, you’d like to see Brooklyn give them a show even with the understudies taking center stage.
If only it were that simple.
The Nets dipped deeper into their organizational rotation tonight than they have all season. Even though Jalen Wilson and Drake Powell have been part of the regular rotation at times this year, they came off the bench. Ben Saraf started alongside Tyson Etienne, Malachi Smith, E.J. Liddell, and Tre Scott. The Pacers took a similar approach, bringing Obi Toppin and Jay Huff off the bench.
Brooklyn lost the first quarter 31-14, shooting just 5-21 from the field. The Nets once more played without a true center tonight, and it showed. Brooklyn lost on the glass 21-12 in the opening frame, where Indiana also outscored them in the paint 20-6. Another quarter of play only ballooned those ratios. The Pacers went into the break up 65-37, up 46-20 in the paint, and 38-19 on the boards.
At that point, Obi Toppin was our only scorer with double digit points, putting up 14 on 5-7 shooting. Neither Chaney Johnson nor Ochai Agbaji, the only guys who might’ve had a chance to stop the bleeding inside, played any minutes this evening.
Nevertheless. Brooklyn opened up the third with 12-0 start in paint scoring. Rather than getting some taller reinforcements, the Nets simply started driving more often on an Indiana defense that either stopped caring in the second half or Brooklyn simply didn’t challenge enough in the first.
“He does a great job of getting into the paint with the ball, and that’s very important, because he draws a lot of attention” Fernández said of Saraf. “Now, he’s getting comfortable with making better decisions, whether it’s to score or to find shooters. He ended up with six assists and two turnovers, which is elite, and that’s a night that we didn’t make any shots. Just imagine if we make a couple.”
Also, Toppin and Huff weren’t in the game for that stretch, which saw the Nets slightly cut into the lead with an extended 18-11 run. Tank commanders might’ve started sweating had Toppin and Huff not come back in, but they did around halfway through the third, and once again started BBQ-chickening Brooklyn inside. The Pacers still ended up winning the period and put their lead back at 26 entering the fourth. After Brooklyn’s 12-0 start to the third in paint scoring, Indiana only lost the period there by 24-20 margin.
The Nets couldn’t conjure up another fake comeback after that. There are few things more disheartening for a team to go through than a possession where you drive, force a collapse, put the defense in a blender, kick for an open three, and then clank it off the side iron, and the Nets had about four of those in the final period’s first five minutes. They ended up posting .385/.211 splits for the game, which won’t get it done, even against a fellow basement dweller.
“I thought the effort and the purpose was there,” Fernández said. “We took the right shots. They just didn’t go in.”
So, both teams quietly strolled to the finish line down the stretch of the fourth. Amidst it all, E.J. Liddell waltzed into a career night where he led the Nets with 26 points and 10 rebounds while shooting 10-16 from the field. Ben Saraf followed with a 19/6/5 game. Tyson Etienne added 14 points, four assists, and four rebounds while shooting 3-7 from deep in the loss.
Once more, even if the on-court Nets weren’t after that, it’s what they should’ve been, with respect to the franchise’s long term outlook.
And in terms of leaving a better, final impression on the fans? It’s not like we don’t all have TVs and there aren’t two more games left.
Bottom line: The Nets remain in third place in the race to the bottom, a game behind of the Pacers, a game ahead of the Jazz. Meanwhile, the Wizards lost to the Bulls and clinched the worst record this season.
Final: Indiana Pacers 123, Brooklyn Nets 94
Sean Marks Speaks
As part of YES Network’s season-ending interviews with players, coaches and staff, Sean Marks sat down for a brief interview on the upcoming Draft Lottery, which is a month from Friday. The Nets GM laid out the importance of the lottery pick…
Marks made an interesting comment when talking about this year’s team and its youth. He noted that not only was the 2025-26 roster the youngest in the NBA this year. They were also the youngest NBA team in 20 years. He noted that next year’s squad will also be young, but not as young at this one.
Milestone Watch
E.J. Liddell had his first career double-double tonight against Indiana with 26 points and a career-high 10 rebounds. He has scored 15+ points in three straight games from 4/5-9 after his previous career best was 10 points on 3/14/26 at PHI.
Liddell also became the first Net with 25+ PTS and 10+ REB in an NBA game after playing in the G League that season. It was his third straight game with a career high in points after logging 15 vs WAS (4/5) and 21 vs MIL (4/7).
Injury Update
Nic Claxton gave his exit interview for the season pregame tonight. He came out with his right pinky finger in splint. He mentioned that he doesn’t expect (or want) to have surgery on it.
“No, I don’t think so,” he said when asked if he’d go under the knife. “Give it some time to rest. I think it’ll heal up. Not trying to have any procedures.”
Claxton also said that he recently had an MRI on the finger and intends to take “proper precautions.” We’ll have more on his exit interview later on.
Next Up
The Nets will complete their final back-to-back of the season, flying to Milwaukee for a penultimate game vs the Bucks. Like on Tuesday, expect the household names to sit this one out. It’ll tipoff at 8:00 p.m.
NEW YORK (AP) — Matthew Schaefer tied the NHL record for goals by a rookie defenseman, and the Islanders defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-3 on Thursday night in Peter DeBoer’s first game as New York’s coach.
Cal Ritchie had a goal and an assist, and Ilya Sorokin finished with 13 saves as the Islanders snapped a four-game skid. Brayden Schenn, Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Emil Heineman also scored, and Tony DeAngelo added two assists.
DeBoer was hired Sunday after the Islanders fired Patrick Roy amid a late-season slide that saw the team lose seven of 10 games. New York remains in contention for a wild-card playoff spot, trailing Ottawa by three points with three games left.
Steven Lorentz, Easton Cowan and Morgan Rielly scored for Toronto. Artur Akhtyamov made 39 saves for the Maple Leafs, who lost their fifth straight.
Schaefer’s goal midway through the second period was his 23rd of the season to match Hall of Famer Brian Leetch’s record for a rookie defender, set in 1988-89 for the New York Rangers. His shot through Akhtyamov’s legs put the Islanders ahead 3-2.
Heineman scored late in the second for a two-goal advantage, and Ritchie added a power-play goal midway through the third period to put the game out of reach.
New York scored twice in the first five minutes to open the DeBoer era.
Schenn opened the scoring at 2:08 of the first period, finishing a feed from Ritchie on a delayed penalty. Pageau added a goal later in the period, depositing his own rebound to extend the Islanders’ lead to 2-0.
NEW YORK (AP) — Obi Toppin had 26 points and nine rebounds and seven Indiana players scored in double figures as the Pacers snapped a three-game skid with a 123-94 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night.
The Pacers (19-61) won for the fifth time in 27 games. Indiana was without head coach Rick Carlisle, who missed the first of two games to attend his daughter’s spring formal. Lloyd Pierce handled the coaching duties.
Micah Potter had 18 points and 14 rebounds, Ethan Thompson added 15 points and Jarace Walker and Jay Huff each added 14. Jalen Slawson and Quenton Jackson finished with 12 points apiece.
E.J. Liddell led the Nets (20-59) with 26 points and 10 rebounds. Ben Saraf scored 19 point and Tyson Etienne added 14 for Brooklyn, which shot 37 for 96 (37%) from the field and had its two-game winning streak halted.
The Pacers raced to a 31-14 lead in the first quarter, led 63-37 at half and carried a 26-point (98-72) advantage into the fourth quarter.
