PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 07: Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Egor Chinakhov (59) skates with the puck against Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen (55) during the first period in the NHL game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Philadelphia Flyers on March 7, 2026, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. (Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
With the regular season over for the Pittsburgh Penguins, all there is to do is sit and wait for everyone else to wrap up their schedules, which will be Thursday for a few select teams. What helps the Penguins at the moment is they already know who their first round opponent will be so preparations won’t be delayed and they can get to work scheming for the Philadelphia Flyers will no delay. As for when the Penguins and Flyers will drop the puck on their first playoff matchup since 2018, that is still wait and see since the schedule is yet to be released for that series or any of the others.
Pens Points…
Penguins fans are plenty familiar with the Philadelphia Flyers, but it’s still been eight years since the two sides have contested a playoff series and there are A LOT of new faces this time around. Get acquainted with this Flyers teams and learn how they got here before the series begins this weekend. [Pensburgh]
There are certain players who will grab all the headlines as the Penguins prepare to take on the Flyers to open the playoffs and there are others who will fly under the radar. While the big names in this series are well known, one of those under the radar guys could the someone who flips the series in the Pens favor. [Pensburgh]
This will be the fifth time the Penguins and Flyers have met in the playoffs during the Crosby/Malkin era and those matchups have provided some all-time memories, good and bad. From the chaos of 2012 to the infamous Max Talbot moment in 2009, these teams never disappoint. [Pensburgh]
Stepping away from the much anticipated Penguins/Flyers series for a moment, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are preparing to wrap up their AHL season this weekend with a few meaningless contests as they have already wrapped up a playoff spot and a first round bye. [Pensburgh]
When Dan Muse was hired as the Penguins head coach last year, no one knew what to expect from the new bench boss. Certainly no one thought he was going to guide this Penguins team to the postseason, but his leadership style and fresh system have put the Penguins back where they belong. [Penguins]
Building this Penguins team was a long process that began in the offseason and wasn’t complete until the trade deadline a few weeks ago. Drafting Ben Kindel in June was just the start, followed then by free agent signings that exceeded every expectation, and completed by a few trades to bring in key pieces during the season. [The Hockey News]
While Skinner and Silovs have done the bulk of the work at the NHL level this season, Sergei Murashov still projects as the Penguins future in goal. He was a stalwart in the AHL for the Baby Penguins this season and took home All-Rookie Team honors for his play. [Trib Live]
NHL News and Notes…
After being eliminated from the playoffs and delivering a lackluster performance in their final game of the season, Columbus Blue Jackets interim head coach Rick Bowness stepped to the mic and delivered an all-time coach presser. A day later, the players spoke and agreed with his harsh assessment of their play. [NHL]
CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 08: Evan Mobley #4 celebrates with James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during player introductions before the game against the Atlanta Hawks at Rocket Arena on April 08, 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
INDEPENDENCE — Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson has been asked how James Harden has helped this team since his arrival in early February. He’s spoken at length about how good a passer he is and how skilled he is as a scorer. But there’s one thing that sticks out above all of that — his knowledge of the game and his willingness to pass that on to others on the team. Both are byproducts of his obsession with the game.
“There are certain players in this league that they love it more,” Atkinson said of Harden. “They’re obsessed. There’s love and obsession.”
Harden falls into that second category.
“There’s very few of them to that degree,” Atkinson said. “How obsessed they are with the game, the nuances of the game, it’s different.”
Those nuances show through most when Harden is running the pick-and-roll. He’s an expert at that action and has developed seemingly instant chemistry with nearly every big he’s come in contact with throughout his 17-year career with six different franchises. That one exception was Evan Mobley — at least in their first few weeks together.
Mobley’s game didn’t fit with Harden’s right off the bat. Mobley isn’t known for being a hard screen setter and roller. Instead, he’s typically done most of his damage attacking in space off the dribble, cutting, and attacking after slipping screens.
Earlier this season, Dallas Mavericks head coach and legendary point guard Jason Kidd said that it took him half a season before he felt comfortable with a new big. The Cavs didn’t have that much time to make things work with Harden since they traded for him four months into the season. They had to find a different way to develop their on-court chemistry without game reps. That meant they had to do most of their work in the film room.
“Us going through film, me learning him, him learning me, and where he likes to pass the ball. That was a big thing at the start,” Mobley said. “Once I kind of figured that out, and how he likes to come off [screens], and what his cues are. Sometimes you can’t really say anything. You just kind of have to look. Once I learned that, it got very easy.”
Mobley describes Harden as being “light-hearted” in these film sessions.“It’s just info. He just tells me what he sees. I tell him what I see, and the coaches chime in. It’s just a back-and-forth conversation.”
Harden’s impact breaking down film is one of the things that the Cavs pointed out immediately after the trade.
“James is a teacher,” Atkinson said. “He always has a slant and a new idea on how we can do things better. He’s not afraid. … He’s very bold — extroverted. Talking with guys, it’s a huge help.”
Harden and Mobley’s two-man game has continued to grow throughout the season. Harden has done a good job of delivering passes to Mobley above the waste where he can catch the ball in stride. In turn, Mobley has been more decisive in rolling to the basket and exploiting mismatches.
That development didn’t happen overnight. It was through trial and error and having an open line of communication, which Harden believes is the biggest reason why they were able to get onto the same page.
“Figure out what works, whether it’s the pick-and-roll, whether it’s just me throwing him the ball in the post,” Harden said. “Whether I have the mismatch or I feel like he has the mismatch. It’s a split-second decision. If it doesn’t go right, we talk about it and then move on.”
If the Cavs are going to go far in the playoffs, it will be because their best players are on the same page and the team is at its best when they share the floor. To do that, Mobley and Harden have to be in sync, and they’ve made an effort to do so through their communication.
“I’m just trying to learn from him,” Mobley said. “Learn the most I can and figure out how he’s become who he is. He does a great job of explaining and spreading his knowledge to us. I’m just soaking it all in.”
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 04: Manager, Aaron Boone #17 of the New York Yankees looks on during batting practice before the game against the Miami Marlins at Yankee Stadium on April 4, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The modern Yankees are known at this point for their midseason slumps, but they also deserve credit for the late-season surges that those slumps necessitate. Last year, after going 25-27 through June and July, the club closed the season on an MLB-best 30-11 run.
That run was in part thanks to a midseason makeover that was forced by the team’s shoddy midsummer play. With the club slipping to five games back in the AL East, Brian Cashman imported seven players at the trade deadline, and though not all of them excelled in pinstripes, the stronger pickups, David Bednar, José Caballero, and Ryan McMahon, combined for over 3 rWAR, crucial contributions in a division race that came down to the final day.
As the Yankees limped through July, it was clear they needed major reinforcements, and the front office responded. It’s early days in 2026, but the Yankees have already shown their trademark inconsistency, and they again appear to have some major holes on the roster. So, do you think they will need another midseason makeover this year?
With such glaring holes in their infield at the moment, the answer to this question may seem like an obvious “Yes” to some, but let’s at least hear the optimistic case. For one, among the primary issues the Yankees had to address at last trade deadline was how left-handed heavy their lineup was, leading to the acquisitions of Amed Rosario, Caballero, and Austin Slater. In theory, this version of the team doesn’t need the same kind of augmentation, with a bench full of right-handed bats capable of stepping in against lefties (in practice, of course, the lineup has struggled thus far against southpaws).
Moreover, pitching is where so many contending teams look to add midseason, and the Yankees are loaded with it. Their starting rotation has paced the league, with Carlos Rodón, Gerrit Cole, and potentially Clarke Schmidt still on the way. Injuries very well may eat into the club’s depth and force them to add more arms, but should Cole and Rodón return healthy, the Yankees may be close to set on pitching. At full health, they’d have more talented arms than slots in the rotation, allowing them to address any bullpen weaknesses by shifting arms to relief, and that’s before even mentioning talented prospects like Carlos Lagrange and Elmer Rodríguez
That’s the optimistic case, but the more pessimistic case isn’t too hard to spell out. Ryan McMahon and Caballero have barely been playable as a starting left-side this year, and the bullpen cries out for reinforcements. Perhaps Anthony Volpe comes back healthy and productive, and maybe the Yankees’ excess of starting pitching helps them address their bullpen needs. Or, perhaps the Yankees need to find two starting caliber infielders at the deadline, and multiple capable bullpen arms, much like they did last year.
What do you think? Will another midseason roster makeover be necessary? Or will something more akin to the 2024 deadline, when the Yankees only made a couple of additions, be the path the club takes?
On the site today, you can get caught up on Wednesday night’s AL action with Kevin’s Rivalry Roundup, and read up on a Hall of Famer you probably didn’t know play for the Yankees in Matt’s profile of Paul Waner. Also, Peter’s sequence of the week highlights some quality work from Will Warren, and Andrés reviews another shaky from Luis Gil.
Meanwhile, rookies such as JJ Wetherholt, Chase DeLauter and Carter Jensen are influencing the game in multiple facets, showing a comfort level that belies the fact they played their first regular season games just three weeks ago.
So, who’s next?
USA TODAY Sports examines six top prospects off to hot starts in the minor leagues and - with the key April 20 checkpoint for clubs to save a year of service time looming – who might be next up on their way to the big leagues:
Charlie Condon, Rockies
This dude figured things out in a hurry. Condon, the Golden Spikes Award winner and third overall pick after hitting 37 homers at Georgia in 2024, was set back by an unsightly strikeout rate and a wrist fracture in spring 2025.
Now, the 6-foot-5 right-handed slugger is banging down the door to Coors Field.
Condon has four homers in 11 games at Class AAA Albuquerque, including a two-homer game and three-hit game. He’s also drawn eight walks to just 11 strikeouts, his K rate a fathomable 20.7% thus far.
That’s a far cry from the 30.7% strikeout rate he toted around at three levels last year. And while he may still struggle with spin at an advanced level, at some point he needs to experience it at the big league level to continue his arc of growth.
Condon can also play either first or outfield, giving the big club some options. While a gaggle of Rockies hitting prospects have flamed out on Blake Street, a new regime in place seems better-positioned to put the finishing touches on their prized bats.
You want to talk elite strikeout rates, and the notion that a prospect needs a better challenge than AAA pitching can offer?
Clark has struck out just five times in 66 plate appearances, a 7.5% K rate that would rank fifth among qualified big leaguers. Oh, he’s also posted a .962 OPS at Toledo, off to a .356 (21-for-59) start that includes nine extra-base hits and six steals in as many attempts.
Yet can a veteran Detroit team integrate two top-shelf rookies into its lineup?
Well, the McGonigle thing is working out OK. Detroit’s left and center field spots rank in the bottom third in the majors in OPS, and Parker Meadows is now out “multiple months,” manager A.J. Hinch says, after fracturing the radius bone in his left forearm in an outfield collision.
Clark, 21 and four months younger than McGonigle, still has just 274 plate appearances above Class A. Promoting him soon would be aggressive. Yet it’d also further raise the bar of competition on a veteran team aiming to take extra steps this season.
Travis Bazzana, Guardians
Just how many second basemen can a club break in so early in the season?
That’s a question worth asking for the Guardians, who called up 24-year-old Juan Brito last week. Brito’s debut has been a mixed bag – his ninth-inning bobble of a grounder cost the Guardians a game this week – but deserves some runway.
Still, how long can the Guards keep down the No. 1 overall pick in 2024?
If nothing else, they could use Bazzana’s elite on-base skills, .380 for his minor league career and .352 in his first 15 games at Class AAA Columbus. Per usual, these Guardians are a pitching-centric outfit, in the bottom half of the majors in both runs and OBP.
Kaelen Culpepper, Twins
Yeah, the last thing we want to do is mess up whatever glorious mojo that’s developing at Target Field. The Twins are killing the ball, ranking second in the AL in OPS, surprise leaders of the Central and even lapping the field in ABS challenges.
There’s also a talented group lurking at Class AAA St. Paul, led by outfielders Emmanuel Rodriguez and Walker Jenkins. Yet it’s Culpepper, a shortstop, who’s broke quickly from the gate, with three homers and 16 hits in his first 15 games.
Culpepper was picked 21st overall in 2024 and has a .361 OBP in 154 minor league games since. That’s one area the club could upgrade over in Minneapolis, where shortstop Brooks Lee has a .283 OBP - .280 in 205 career games – and is performing at slightly less than replacement level.
Lee debuted in 2024 and is just 25, so it’s far too soon to pull the plug on their ’22 first-round pick. Yet when their early offensive surge hits a regression, it may be worth seeing what Culpepper can bring to the infield.
George Lombard Jr., Yankees
Welcome to Qualifier City, where we lead this item with the many, many reasons Lombard won’t be on his way to the Bronx.
He’s just 20 years old. He’s beginning his first full season above A ball. Incumbent shortstop Anthony Volpe just embarked on a rehab assignment – facing Zack Wheeler in his first game at Class AA, no less – and should make his season debut sometime next week.
Fair enough. Yet Lombard appears to be embarking on a mission down at Somerset, homering in his first at-bat of the year and banging out 15 hits in his first 32 at-bats. He dazzled defensively in spring training and is respected organizationally for his son-of-a-big-leaguer baseball IQ.
Apropos of perhaps nothing: Volpe’s rehab assignment nudged Lombard to third base, where the Yankees may soon tire of the Ryan McMahon experience – he’s 5 for 39 with a sickly .128/.277/.128 line.
Bryce Eldridge, Giants
Alright, we’re cheating on this one. Eldridge made a 10-game, 28-at-bat debut last year, whiffing in 13 of those ABs. Yep, he’s already been a big leaguer and nope, the Giants may not be inclined to offer him long-term dollars until they can see less swing-and-miss.
Yet the trend lines of the Giants’ offensive futility and Eldridge’s Class AAA dominance are bound to intersect very soon.
The Giants have scored two or fewer runs in nine of their 17 games, rank last in the majors in runs, 26th in OPS and 30th with just nine home runs. Eldridge? He’s making a mockery of Class AAA pitching, with a .360/.492/.520 line through 13 games.
Oh, the punchouts are a problem – 19 in 63 plate appearances, a 30% rate – but the Giants are not walking and not hitting and in need of offensive sentience. A ride down I-80 from Yolo County to the Bay Bridge may be in Eldridge’s near future.
Draymond Green (23) and Stephen Curry (30) defend against Kawhi Leonard (2) in the first half as the Golden State Warriors played the Los Angeles Clippers in an NBA play-in tournament game at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif., on Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (Photo by Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
The difficulty of guarding an action involving Steph Curry and Draymond Green is the sheer unpredictability of how it will manifest. It’s difficult enough to solve the typical Curry-Green pick-and-roll — playing drop will end up in Curry pulling up around the screen for a rhythm three. Playing a more aggressive form of coverage such as a hedge or outright blitz unleashes Green in the short roll with a 4-on-3 numbers advantage, a realm that Green has historically dominated with near-equal efficiency as a Curry pull-up three.
Adding to that difficulty is when Green starts possessions out handling the ball with Curry parking himself in the middle of the paint. Whenever Steve Kerr calls for “Small,” it often entails an inverted pick-and-roll in which Curry steps up to set the screen for Green. The reticence of Curry’s defender to detach himself from the greatest shooter of all time often allows Green to dribble downhill through a wide-open lane.
Teams have come to expect “Small” action, owing to the fact that the Warriors are so fond of having Curry be the ball screener for Green and bigger ball-handling wings (previously, that role was played by the likes of Jimmy Butler, Andrew Wiggins, and Jonathan Kuminga). Naturally, a scouted action needs to evolve in order to maintain its effectiveness. As such, back on December 14 against the Portland Trail Blazers, Kerr called for “Small” action and the Blazers expected an inverted pick-and-roll possession.
However, the Warriors were expecting the Blazers to expect the ball-screen. In that regard, the Warriors threw a curve ball that caught the Blazers with their tail between their legs:
Warriors┃ "Small"
Kerr calls for "Small" for an inverted PnR between Draymond and Steph.
The rationale behind this action is rather simple: with Green’s defenders often sagging way off of him (with the additional purpose of not letting themselves getting screened by Curry above the free-throw line, which would give Green a runway toward the rim), Green’s defenders will find themselves playing drop coverage unintentionally whenever Curry comes off of Green and pulls up from deep. The irony of the situation is then realized: teams are forced to play a pick-and-roll coverage that has been proven to be extremely ineffective against basketball history’s greatest shooter.
This callback all leads into a sequence against the Los Angeles Clippers in the Golden State Warriors’ momentous Play-In victory, one that prolonged their tumultuous season. With the seven-minute mark approaching in the third quarter and the Warriors aiming to keep things manageable in the midst of a precarious deficit, “Small” is called for what is apparently going to be a Curry screen for Green, who brings the ball up.
To Brook Lopez’s credit, he refuses to sag back and let Green and Curry dictate matters at the top of the arc. The risk behind this decision, however, is Curry catching Lopez with a screen and Green diving past for what could be an easy layup. But Curry elects to come off of Green instead of setting the screen. Perhaps in anticipation of a screen, Lopez drops back to avoid the pick — but falls victim to an unintentional bout of drop coverage.
To add insult to injury, Derrick Jones Jr. attempts to recover over the screen, and in the process fouls Curry on the four-point play:
The deceptive nature of the action underscores its overall inevitability, one that has had Curry and Green in the center of it all. The Clippers may have had the Warriors’ number over the past couple of years, but they fell victim once again to the one-two punch that has taken opposing fanbases’ hearts several times, over and over, enough to convince a die-hard fan to accept the fact that Curry and Green will forever haunt them in their dreams, even after their stories careers have seen their eventual end.
In an elimination game with everything on the line, Curry and Green were expected to handle things from their respective specialties: Curry as the Warriors’ offensive engine, Green as their defensive anchor. The former, with help from Green but whose machinery was driven by the all-time talents of Curry, furthered a legacy that already was and has been unimpeachable:
The latter saw Green get up for a vintage performance that belied his aging profile.
While Green’s defensive reputation was built mostly on a role that saw him as an off-ball roamer and mistake-eraser, Green was tasked to defend the Clippers’ resident terminator. Kawhi Leonard finished the game with 21 points on 17 shots — good for a true shooting percentage of 56 percent. In a do-or-die game, 17 shots clearly wasn’t good enough for a superstar the caliber of Leonard’s, whose resurgence this season will see him almost certainly be included in an All-NBA Team, let alone the first team.
But Leonard managing to put up only 17 shots had plenty to do with Green and his tenacity as Leonard’s tormentor. Of those 17 shots, six were taken in the second half; two of those six were taken in the crucial fourth quarter.
Make no mistake, Green had schematic help — i.e., Kerr and de facto defensive coordinator Jerry Stackhouse opting to surprise Leonard with doubles. The Warriors were clearly more concerned with Leonard the scorer as opposed to Leonard the passer; the latter was even more palatable if Leonard was forced to pass in the face of daunting pressure:
But on an individual basis, Green displayed his mettle and pedigree. He rose to the occasion on two separate occasions, both of them equally crucial behind the Warriors’ win.
Showing an incredible refusal to be dictated by the Clippers’ after-timeout (ATO) play (in the sense that the Clippers wanted to draw Green away from Leonard courtesy of a screen), Green tenaciously fights over the screen, pins Leonard against the sideline, and intercepts a pass that was meant for Leonard, leading to an and-1 layup by Brandin Podziemski:
A few possessions later, Green flashes an incredible knowledge of Leonard’s rhythm and handle by timing a swipe at the end of Leonard’s right-to-left crossover, forcing another turnover that all but seals the deal for the Warriors:
Despite the fleeting nature of this run, in the sense that one loss can send it all into the realm of futility, it was nevertheless a treat to see these two legends of the sport turn back the clock and produce another vintage performance. Let it be known, however, that they had the requisite help: Al Horford had four massive threes in the fourth quarter and finished with 14 points; Kristaps Porzingis chipped in with his 20 points; Podziemski himself had 17 points while hauling in seven rebounds as a 6’4” unathletic guard; and Gui Santos produced 20 crucial points, all while the Warriors outscored the Clippers by 16 points in his 32 minutes of floor time, a team high.
No matter what the outcome of the next tilt against the Phoenix Suns may be, the Warriors —powering through a season that saw season-ending injuries to Butler and Moses Moody, a 27-game absence from their franchise superstar, and a highly unnecessary saga involving Kuminga — have already overachieved. If their so-called “uncs” have more gas in their tanks, further overachieving would be the money that keeps on giving — until it chooses to stop giving.
But transfer portal rankings are hardly an exact science, and best fit is usually a better indicator for future success than anything.
While Yaxel Lendeborg, a first-team All-American in 2025-26, was rated the No. 1 player in the portal and delivered Michigan a national championship, UConn center Tarris Reed Jr., one of the best players of the NCAA Tournament in 2026, was rated outside the top 75 as a portal prospect in 2024 by 247Sports' Composite.
The deadline to enter the transfer portal is April 21, and impactful players are still entering the market each day.
Here's a look at our best fits so far of players that have already committed in the 2026 transfer portal:
10 transfers that are perfect fits in college basketball
Stefan Vaaks, Illinois
Former Providence guard Stefan Vaaks will fit right in with Illinois, which is developing a reputation for European standouts.
The Estonian will likely join a starting lineup that consists of Andrej Stojakovic, David Mirkovic and Tomislav Ivisic, who all averaged double figures last season. A 6-7 sharpshooter, Vaaks averaged 15.8 points with 2.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game last season for the Friars as a true freshman.
Illinois had a void at guard this offseason after Keaton Wagler declared for the NBA Draft, and in steps Vaaks.
Dedan Thomas, Houston
Houston is almost assuredly losing star guard Kingston Flemings, a projected top-10 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. It'll aim to replace him with LSU transfer Dedan Thomas, one of the best playmaking guards available.
USA TODAY's No. 16 overall transfer, Thomas averaged 15.3 points with 6.5 assists per game last season for the Tigers, and is poised to take over as Houston's lead ball handler with Flemings and multi-year starter Milos Uzan out of the picture.
Houston has been fueled by its guard play under coach Kelvin Sampson, going from Marcus Sasser and Jamal Shead to LJ Cryer and Emanuel Sharp to Flemings, Uzan and Sharp in consecutive seasons. Thomas will be asked to do a lot next season as Houston loses three starting guards.
David Punch, Texas
David Punch emerged as one of the best defenders in the country last season at TCU, and averaged 14.1 points with 6.8 rebounds and two assists in a do-it-all role for the Horned Frogs. It was a surprise when he entered the portal, but less of a surprise when he chose the hometown Longhorns.
Punch is from Harker Heights, Texas, less than an hour drive from Austin, where Texas' campus is located. That, paired with Texas' need for a frontcourt mate next to returning center Matas Vokietaitis made for a perfect fit for second-year coach Sean Miller.
Punch averaged 1.9 blocks and 1.3 steals per game last season, and gives Texas a feisty defender that can guard multiple positions.
Najai Hines, UConn
UConn needed a center to replace Tarris Reed this offseason, and it found a fit that made perfect sense. Not only did Najai Hines show flashes in the Big East last season as a true freshman, but he also did so at coach Dan Hurley's alma mater, Seton Hall.
Hines stats don't jump off the page — 6.5 points with 5.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game — but he came on late in the year for the Pirates and was a blue-chip high school recruit, rated as a top-10 center in the 2025 class, per 247Sports' Composite.
Hines is huge, listed at 6-10, 265 pounds. Hurley and the Huskies will look to develop him similarly to how they did with Reed after he transferred from Michigan.
J.P. Estrella, Michigan
Similar to fellow national championship opponent UConn, Michigan also has some holes to fill in its frontcourt with Yaxel Lendeborg off to the NBA Draft and center Aday Mara likely following suit.
The Wolverines will look to replace some of that production with former Tennessee forward J.P. Estrella, who averaged 10 points with 5.4 rebounds per game last season. The 6-11 redshirt sophomore scored seven points with seven rebounds against the Wolverines in the Elite Eight.
Coach Dusty May has been masterful at developing his frontcourt, and Estrella will be the latest to learn from the national championship-winning coach.
Collin Chandler, BYU
It didn't take long for former Kentucky guard Collin Chandler to choose his next destination, as he committed to BYU, his hometown school, shortly after entering the transfer portal. He was formerly committed to BYU as a high school prospect, and took two years off after high school to fulfill a church mission in Africa.
Chandler averaged 9.7 points with 2.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists last season, also shooting 41% from 3-point range. He's also a perfect fit at BYU offensively, as the Cougars have finished No. 9 and No. 12 in adjusted offensive efficiency each of Kevin Young's seasons as head coach.
BYU also has a void at wing, with AJ Dybantsa likely off to the NBA Draft and Richie Saunders out of eligibility. He'll be one of BYU's top options next to returning guard Rob Wright III.
Neoklis Avdalas, North Carolina
New North Carolina coach Michael Malone's first portal recruit was one of the most intriguing available players in former Virginia Tech guard Neoklis Avdalas.
The 6-9 true freshman averaged 12.1 points with 3.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game last season for the Hokies, and showed flashes of being a potential NBA lottery pick with his unique playmaking and shooting ability at his size. Avdalas was on the NBA Draft radar after only his second career game, as he scored 33 points with five rebounds and six assists in an overtime win over Providence in November.
Avdalas is expected to take a huge step forward as a sophomore, especially under Malone's tutelage.
PJ Haggerty, Texas A&M
Former Kansas State guard PJ Haggerty ranked fourth nationally in 2025-26 averaging 23.4 points per game. Now at his fifth school in five seasons, Haggerty joins an offense tabbed as "Bucky Ball" under second-year coach Bucky McMillan, who runs a fast-paced offense predicated on taking shots early and often.
Sounds like a strong fit for one of the best pure scorers in college basketball.
Haggerty is also from Crosby, Texas, a Houston suburb that's less than a two-hour drive from College Station, Texas.
Derek Dixon, Arizona
Derek Dixon entered the portal after North Carolina hired Malone as its next coach, despite starting 16 games as a true freshman. His landing spot? Arizona, which made the Final Four in 2025-26 and has a glaring need at guard.
Arizona loses Big 12 Player of the Year Jaden Bradley, its starting point guard, to graduation, and also loses leading scorer Brayden Burries, a surefire first-round pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.
Dixon averaged 6.5 points with 2.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game last season with the Tar Heels, and now finds himself as coach Tommy LLoyd's likely starting point guard.
Jaquan Johnson, Iowa State
Iowa State coach TJ Otzelberger has done work in the transfer portal since taking over the program, but his point guard in four of his five seasons has never changed.
Bradley transfer Jaquan Johnson will be tasked with replacing four-year starter Tamin Lipsey, one of the most accomplished players in school history. He has the means to do so, averaging 16.9 points with 3.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game last season despite being undersized at 5-11.
With Otzelberger's portal track record, Johnson should fit quite nicely with Iowa State, who has to replace Lipsey, leading scorer Milan Momcilovic and All-American Joshua Jefferson.
Tampa, Fla.: New York Yankees Gerrit Cole showing teammate Anthony Volpe his family after pitching during live batting practice at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida, on February 21, 2024. (Photo by J. Conrad Williams, Jr./Newsday RM via Getty Images) | Newsday via Getty Images
SNY | Chelsea Janes: For the first time since the 2025 postseason, Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe played a competitive baseball game. It happened to be with the Yanks’ Double-A affiliate, the Somerset Patriots, as he starts his rehab assignment after offseason labrum surgery. He said he felt great and called it a big milestone.
Regarding the next steps in his recovery process, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that he will play minor league games until at least next week. After resting on Wednesday, he will return for five-plus frames on Thursday and Friday, then take a day off Saturday, and play again on Sunday. After Monday’s offday, he’ll likely go to Scranton to continue his rehab. “Probably four or five games next week, then we’ll kind of evaluate and see where we’re at from there,” Boone said.
In the postgame following the Yanks’ exciting win on Wednesday, Boone dropped another nugget: Gerrit Cole will be joining Volpe on the rehab trail with Somerset. It’ll be his first pro start since underdoing Tommy John surgery in March 2025. Obviously he has a long way to go to build up, but it’s a significant milestone for the ace on his journey back to a big-league mound.
Gerrit Cole will make a rehab start for @SOMPatriots on Friday, Aaron Boone said.
NY Daily News | Gary Phillips: After sending Yerry De Los Santos back to Triple-A late on Tuesday, the Yankees announced the promotion of Angel Chivilli on Wednesday to take a place on the roster and in the bullpen. He has pitched 8.1 perfect innings with Scranton so far after a rough spring. The 23-year-old had a 6.18 ERA over 73 MLB games in Colorado in the last two seasons, 2024 and 2025.
“We think there’s more room there for his secondary to become really good pitches for him,” Aaron Boone said. “For him, it’s about controlling the strike zone and command. If he can control counts, he’s got some swing and miss with his secondary stuff. The fastball is big. He’ll be in the mid-to-upper-90s with his fastball, but he needs his secondary.”
New York Post | Mark W. Sánchez: If you thought Ryan McMahon’s recent bunt attempt was bizarre, well, it appears to be part of a broader organizational focus on bunting. Before the Yankees’ official round of batting practice on Tuesday, José Caballero, Cody Bellinger, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Trent Grisham, and Ryan McMahon took turns to lay down bunts against a pitching machine. What does this mean for the Yankees and their 2026 approach? We don’t know, but Austin Wells successfully got on base with a bunt on Wednesday.
FanGraphs | Dan Szymborski: Even though he hasn’t played every day, Ben Rice is terrorizing the league already. Szymborski marvels at his 70 percent hard-hit rate and says he’s here to stay. “If you’re a fan of another team in the AL East, as I am (Baltimore Orioles), you’ve probably been waiting for Rice to come crashing back to Earth. Given how he’s hit in 2026, however, I fear we’ll have to pin our collective hopes on other sources of Yankees misfortune. Ben Rice’s power is real and it is spectacular,” he explained.
Yahoo Sports | Jake Mintz: This is a wonderful tribute to the 103-year-old Rachel Robinson, Jackie’s widow, with a touching article praising her legacy on his day. Shared are stories of how they met, how they fell in love, and how she helped one of the most prominent figures in baseball history through thick and thin.
“Throughout Jackie’s most tumultuous times, Rachel was a rock, there by his side as he broke baseball’s color barrier,” Mintz wrote. It’s definitely worth a read.
Pressure usually feels obvious this time of year. You know who it’s on, you know what’s at stake, and you know exactly who’s going to hear about it if things go sideways.
This Celtics team is a little different. The expectations are obviously real and earned, but they’re not overwhelming. The core has already proven it can win, the supporting cast has spent the year exceeding assumptions, and the entire season has carried a “found money” feel to it. Which makes the pressure question harder to pin down than usual.
We asked the CelticsBlog staff where it actually sits heading into the postseason, and whether it’s even there at all.
Apr 12, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown (7) and Boston Celtics center Nikola Vucevic (4) talk during the first half against the Orlando Magic at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images | Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images
Which player is under the most pressure for the Celtics this postseason?
Jeff Clark: Frankly, I don’t see any Celtics players under pressure. Sure, there’s the pressure of the playoffs. There’s the pressure of not wanting to waste a year of Tatum and Brown’s primes. But this whole season has been found money. They have the veteran crew that’s been through the battles and won the whole thing. Then they have the young crew that is too young to know that they aren’t supposed to be this good. And they have a maniac coach that has them all locked in and on the same page. That’s a great combo.
Bill Sy: In a gap year that saw the front office get under the luxury tax, I don’t think there’s much pressure on anybody. Joe Mazzulla is the frontrunner for Coach of the Year (despite renouncing the honor), Tatum is less than a year from his Achilles tear, Brown has proven himself as an MVP candidate, and every role player has played above expectations. If there’s anybody that has anything to prove, it might be Nikola Vucevic.
You have to imagine that when Brad Stevens traded for him, the deal came with the prospect that he could re-sign with Boston in the summer. He showed signs of fitting in before and after he fractured his finger, but a playoff run will ultimately be the proving ground.
Rich Jensen: I don’t think anyone’s under a great deal of pressure. The C’s have so far exceeded expectations that they’ve been playing with house money since December or so. I think Tatum might be putting himself under pressure to rise to the level of performance that he thinks the rest of the team deserves, but I certainly wouldn’t put any external pressure on him. Maybe the rest of the media landscape and segments of the fanbase have ratcheted their expectations of Tatum and the team to unrealistic levels, but I’m not going to be on that bandwagon.
Look. Being a Celtics fan is like winning the lottery at this point. I’m not going to go around thinking that I’m entitled to more than what we ultimately get from the team.
Ian Inangelo: The person under the most pressure right now is probably Jaylen Brown. Just due to the fact he has been the lead option for most of the season and has put up MVP level performances so far. He is going to be seen as the guy who is going to lead the Celtics to another championship.
Mark Aboyoun: Nikola Vučević. Similar to why he may be a reason Boston won’t win the championship, since he’s returned from his thumb injury, he hasn’t looked great. When he was traded to Boston, he had to learn the team’s defensive scheme and, at times, struggled. Then he got injured early in his Celtics career, and with that, Garza was able to get back into the mix — and he’s done well, as he has all season. In the playoffs, the rotation gets shorter, and Mazzulla will have to figure out what’s best for the team.
Nikola Vucević did it all against his former team 😤
Nirav Barman: JB and Derrick may be tied for being under the most pressure, but for different reasons. While the MVP is a regular season award, players are still judged on their ability to retain that value and production come playoff time. Jaylen has proved himself in the playoffs plenty of times before, but this year he will be under even more scrutiny. As for Derrick, he’s done just about everything this year, except for score the ball efficiently. If White’s shot isn’t falling, the Celtics will be in an incredibly tough spot, and a whole year of poor shooting will be a bad look for Derrick.
Mike Dynon: No one is truly under pressure because the Celtics were never expected to be where they are. Boston is playing this postseason with the proverbial house money. If forced to pick someone, let’s go with Sam Hauser. After alternating hot and cold all season, he finished with a sizzling April (52.6%) – yet he still ended the season at only 39.3%, the first time he’s been below 40%. Hauser also dropped in the league three-point percentage standings; he ranked 40th this season after placing 20th last year and 11th in 2024.
Hauser’s production is a key indicator for Boston. He appeared in 54 wins this season, making 42.4% of his shots from distance. Conversely, he converted only 30.9% in 24 appearances where the Celtics lost. Boston’s path will be much easier if Sam gets into Haus-Fire mode for the next two months.
Ryan Paice: Derrick White. Overall, I don’t think his position in Boston is under threat regardless of how he ultimately plays. But the spotlight is going to turn to him early and often. Playoff defenses tighten the screws and focus in on eliminating strengths, while taking chances on testing perceived weaknesses.
One of those perceived weaknesses may be White’s shot, as he has struggled to hit at a solid clip all season, so I expect the defense may sell out on the Jays and let White take a few shots. If he can recover his shot from the past couple seasons, the Celtics should walk into the Finals. If he can’t, it could be tough to watch as opponents game plan against him.
I, for one, can’t stand the thought of the inevitable calls for his head from some of the sillier talking heads in the media landscape if White can’t hit his shots on a consistent basis.
Gio Rivera: Collectively, the frontcourt is under the most pressure. Sure, there will be plenty of talk about Tatum’s return and Brown’s ability to carry his MVP-caliber play into the postseason, but that’s nothing new. They’ve dealt with those expectations for years, and as champions who led the 2024 title run, the only pressure that could reach them is the kind they place on themselves.
Neemias Queta and Nikola Vučević will need to hold the fort. Last postseason, Queta appeared in just four games, averaging 3.3 minutes. That’s no longer his reality. He’s no longer stuck in the shadows of Kristaps Porziņģis, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet. He’s now regarded as a legitimate starting center, and he earned that.
Even when veteran champion Chris Boucher was in the mix, Queta earned his role and did everything to keep it. When Vučević arrived, he still held firm, reinforcing that the job was rightfully his. His averaged career highs in points (10.2), rebounds (8.4), and blocks (1.3), along with the best field-goal percentage among Eastern Conference centers (65.3) and the third-best net rating (13.2) among centers, trailing only Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren. That doesn’t just earn him locker room endorsement for the Most Improved Player award — it raises the bar for what’s expected this postseason.
Neemias Queta has Jaylen Brown's vote for Most Improved Player 🙌
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) April 6, 2026
Vučević, too, is in a similar spot. After missing 14 games with a fractured right finger, he struggled to regain form, averaging 7.4 points and five rebounds while shooting 31 percent from three over the final four games of the regular season. As the trade deadline return for Simons — and a player the organization has eyed for years — Boston will need him to bounce back quickly, ideally as early as the first round.
Grant Burfeind: It has to be the best player on the team this season, Jaylen Brown. He’s done the incredibly hard job over the last few years, which is get better every single season, and at a certain point, that almost raises the stakes instead of lowering them. He’s proved he belongs, now it’s about proving that this version of you is the new baseline.
Despite this amazing season, it still feels like he’s one shaky playoff run away from all the old conversations creeping back in. The forced drives, the loose handle, the possessions that stall out into isolation — we’ve seen it before, even if it feels like he’s moved past it. If he plays at the level he’s reached this season, it raises the ceiling of the entire team and could be the difference in bringing home Banner 19. If he slips back into some of those habits, he’s going to wear a lot of that outcome. That’s pressure in its simplest form.
Inglewood, CA - April 15: Guard Stephen Curry, left, hugs forward Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors after defeating the LA Clippers 126-121 to win a NBA play-in tournament basketball game at Intuit Dome in Inglewood on Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
Well, they did it. The Golden State Warriors saved their best for last, ending a three-month run of uninteresting play, and emerging from their first play-in tournament game with one of their most entertaining games of the season.
More importantly, they emerged with a win. The Warriors ended the season leaking oil, and faced off in the first round of the play-in tournament against an LA Clippers team that had some tangible momentum. On top of that, the game was in Los Angeles.
No matter. The Warriors used multiple double-digit comebacks — including one in the fourth quarter — to beat the Clippers 126-121, and advance to the second round of the play-in tournament, where a spot in the NBA Playoffs will be on the line.
That’s a worry for another day, though. Friday, specifically. For today, we judge the players who took the court and pulled off the epic victory. And to do that, we assign grades. As always, grades are based on my expectations for each player, with a “B” grade representing the average performance for that player.
Note: True-shooting percentage (TS) is a scoring efficiency metric that accounts for threes and free throws. This year, league-average TS was 58.1%.
We saw a lot of the good and the bad with Santos in this game. There was a reason he got the start, and there was a reason he was the lone player to get subbed out of the game less than three minutes in, with the Warriors already down double digits. There was a reason he came back in not long after that. He had the most turnovers on the team, but also the best plus/minus. He had some of the biggest, most clutch shots, and some of the most back-breaking turnovers.
And yet, as is almost always the case with Santos, the good far outweighed the bad, and it’s hard — virtually impossible — to envision the Warriors winning the game without his contributions.
If you’re frustrated by the difficult moments, just remember that Santos is a 23-year old who entered this year having played in just 79 NBA games … and averaging just 12.1 minutes in those games. This is his first year with a significant role in the NBA. There will be bumps, and times where the game moves a little too fast for him.
But the good was mesmerizing. His footwork broke down Clippers defenders time and time again. His cuts were perfectly timed. And he created chaos with his defense and rebounding. It’s easy to see why Steve Kerr loves him.
He probably gets a B+ if this is a regular season game. But it wasn’t.
Grade: A- Post-game bonus: Best plus/minus on the team.
On Tuesday, I wrote an article listing a few ways that the Warriors could pull off the upset. Here’s a snippet from that article:
The Klaw has scored 40 or more points on five occasions this season, and the Clippers have amassed five blowout victories in those games. He’s been held to 20 points or fewer just seven times, and LA has gone a lowly 1-6 in those contests, including an October loss to the Warriors.
If there’s one thing the Warriors should be focused on, it’s limiting Leonard. And if there’s one person who is up for that job, it’s Draymond Green.
Kawhi Leonard entered the fourth quarter with 19 points. And he was stuck on that number until the final seconds, when he finally made a layup, but only because the Warriors were playing no-threes defense. Those were his only points of the quarter.
He was utterly and entirely shut down by Green in the quarter (and really all game … almost all of Leonard’s damage came against other defenders). It was, quite simply, one of the best individual defensive performances in the NBA this season. And as he so often does, Green turned it on when it mattered most. Not only was his fourth quarter truly special, but Dray forced not one, but two turnovers by Leonard in the final minute, when the game was still very much up for grabs. For as special as Steph Curry’s offense was, Green’s defense was equally memorable.
There are a lot of questions that the Warriors have to ask about Porziņģis when the offseason starts, which it notably did not due on Wednesday. The two biggest ones are: how healthy can he be going forward, and how much money will he command in free agency?
But, critically, there are also a few questions that the Warriors don’t have to ask about Porziņģis. Namely: how good is he, and how well does he fit on the team?
Porziņģis looked like his All-Star self in this game. He had numerous highlight defensive plays, single-handedly ending multiple Clippers possessions that looked like easy buckets. He was a walking bucket, scoring from all over the court, largely within the system but also taking matters into his own hands when it was needed. And he had some passes that made your eyes pop wide open.
It was a complete — and completely excellent — performance. And it left no doubt as to whether or not the Warriors will make re-signing Porziņģis a priority this coming offseason.
Don’t let the ridiculous narratives surrounding the Warriors and their (lack of) two timelines keep you from appreciating what’s in front of your face. Podziemski and Santos were a reminder that the Warriors young players can be the perfect complements to the Hall of Fame-bound core.
Podz did a little bit of everything in this game. His defense and the way he free safetied himself towards every loose ball were game changers. He drew multiple charges late (and took his fair share of damage in the process), and was tied with Leonard for the second-most rebounds of any player in the game.
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but Podziemski’s offense was also more efficient than it looks on paper, as a good chunk of his shots were late in the clock when he had to force something up.
But the biggest thing that Podz did was keep the energy level dialed up. He started the game with endless energy. When the Warriors fell behind by double digits in the first quarter, he maintained that endless energy. When they fell behind by double digits in the third quarter, he maintained that endless energy. When they fell behind by double digits in the fourth quarter, he maintained that endless energy.
And it all played out with one of the biggest shots of the night, when he took a Green steal inside the final minute, and turned it into a beat-everyone-down-the-court transition and-one layup.
Grade: A Post-game bonus: Led the team in rebounds.
I have no words. I really just have no words. Curry was the best player on the court, and if you want to know why they won — and why they’ll have a good chance on Friday — look no further than that point right there.
Curry took his time to get going. He had just three points in the first quarter, and an inefficient eight points in the first half. But the world was his (and Draymond’s) in the second half, and we were all just living in it. The Clippers very much included.
Steph had 16 third-quarter points, and he was just getting started. It was big shot after big shot after big shot, each bucket seeming to give the Warriors a lifeline when they were on the verge of losing. His biggest shot? A 29-foot step-back three that broke a tie with just 50 seconds remaining. In total, the Warriors — who won by five points — outscored the Clippers by 15 in the fourth quarter minutes that Curry played.
Curry didn’t just lead the Warriors to victory on Wednesday. He reminded you that, even in what has been a miserable season, there are 30 reasons to be happy that the season lives to see another game.
Grade: A+ Post-game bonus: Led the team in points.
Payton was more impactful than his numbers would suggest. He helped Golden State’s defense swarm the perimeter, which forced LA into countless chaotic offensive possessions. And he sure made the most out the points that he did score.
GPII is another one of those players who feels more important the bigger the game is. He can change a game with his defense, and he’s never going to make the mistakes the give the game away.
Not Melton’s best game, but with Curry playing as well as he did, the Warriors didn’t really need it to be Melton’s best game. The important thing is that he kept the team afloat, and kept the offense moving when Curry was on the bench. The Dubs don’t fall apart when Curry is resting, and Melton is the biggest reason why.
Grade: C+ Post-game bonus: Tied for the worst plus/minus on the team.
I don’t know if Horford will be back next year or not. He has a player option for $6 million which the Warriors would likely be thrilled if he opted into, but perhaps retirement — or free agency — will come calling.
Either way, this is a game that will cement his legacy with the team, because it really was an unforgettable performance. Just past the midway point in the fourth quarter, with the Clippers slipping away, Horford made threes on three consecutive possessions to pull the Warriors back to within two points. He added another three a few possessions later, giving Golden State their first lead of the quarter with 2:12 remaining. And then he buckled in and played outstanding defense for the final minutes.
Longsuffering hooker, who warmed bench for 21 Tests and lost part of a thumb, is getting RFU recognition at last
Initially, Andy Simpson thought it was a Saturday morning wind-up. Someone from the Rugby Football Union museum was phoning to tell him that, at the age of 71, he was finally a capped England player. Given he had retired without featuring in an officially recognised Test – “the first thing you think is: ‘Who’s taking the mickey here?’” – his scepticism was understandable.
But no, it was totally legit. Simpson is among 47 former players now basking in a warm, rosy glow that had previously eluded them. Having trawled through its archives, the RFU has deemed that several fixtures against full-strength national teams – including a 1986 contest between Italy and an England B side containing Simpson – were effectively Test matches. The long wait is over and the golden oldie debutants have been invited to attend a special, if belated, capping ceremony on 8 June.
The Vegas Golden Knights are the champions of what might be the most anticlimactic race of all time. With a 4-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday, they clinched their fifth Pacific Division title in franchise history.
Connor McDavid’s words were truth disguised as jest– this year, teams in the Pacific Division have done nothing but squander opportunities to pull ahead in the race to claim the division title. It took until day 190 of the NHL season for a team to pull ahead and stake its claim on the Pillow Fight Division title.
“We were on top there for a while, for a lot of the season,” said Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb. “Then we’re in third, flirting with a wildcard. We found our game at the right time and won the division. That’s what we wanted to do, and we did it.”
For the first 30 minutes of play, it didn’t look like the Golden Knights were particularly interested in winning said division. It took them nearly nine minutes to record their first shot on goal; the Kraken recorded nine shots before Vegas managed two. But after an encouraging power play opportunity, Seattle only outshot the Golden Knights 11-6 at the end of the first period.
But despite being thoroughly outshot– and arguably outplayed– the Golden Knights entered the second period with a clean slate and a 0-0 tie.
Both teams recorded nine shots on goal in the second period, and the Golden Knights generated three high-danger scoring chances against Seattle’s two.
The Kraken broke the ice 2:24 into the second period. Carter Hart kicked out Jamie Oleksiak’s blast from the point, and Jani Nyman beat Jeremy Lauzon to the puck. Nyman found Shane Wright all alone in front of the net, and Wright fired it home.
Jani Nyman beats Lauzon to the puck and finds Shane Wright alllllll alone in front of the net.
The Golden Knights netted the equalizer at 17:35 in the second. Nic Dowd won the offensive zone draw, and Shea Theodore beat Nikke Kokko with a shot through Reilly Smith’s screen.
Nic Dowd with the face off win, Reilly Smith with the screen, Theodore with the snipe.
Finally, the ice opened up in the third period. The Golden Knights outshot the Kraken 12-4 and controlled 91.39% of the expected goal share. They also generated nine high-danger scoring chances while not allowing Seattle to manage a single one.
The Golden Knights took their first lead of the night just 1:23 into the third period off another face-off play. Jack Eichel won the offensive zone draw back to Brayden McNabb, who walked the line and fired a shot on goal. As McNabb’s shot came through, Mitch Marner redirected it home from the slot.
Brayden McNabb with the shot, Mitch Marner with the surgical redirection!
The Golden Knights extended their lead at 12:01 in the third. Jack Eichel capitalized on a blown coverage in the offensive zone and set up a two-on-one. Rasmus Anderson got the pass across for Reilly Smith, who slammed a fluttering puck into the empty net.
The Golden Knights added another on a delayed penalty at 16:36. Tomáš Hertl fired a shot on goal; Kaedan Korczak, who was parked atop the crease, whacked at the rebound. The puck came loose, and Reilly Smith banged in his second of the night from the goal line.
Kaedan Korczak is in front of the net whacking at Tomáš Hertl’s rebound, and Reilly Smith scores his second of the night on the delayed penalty.
Nothing this year has been easy for the Golden Knights, and this game was no different.
“We just slowly went about our business and finally found our game,” said head coach John Tortorella following the 4-1 win. “You’d almost want to play one of those before the playoffs, if you knew the result was going to be a win– they don’t like being in it when it’s going on. But give our guys a lot of credit, they stayed with it and just kept on playing. They’ve grabbed hold of it. We have found some consistency, and they feel more and more comfortable with it.”
Three Takeaways of the Knight
1. Despite playing without much intensity in the first period, the Golden Knights entered the first intermission tied at zero. Despite having nothing to play for, the Kraken took advantage of Vegas’ uninspired play and shelled Carter Hart in the first period. Shea Theodore raved about his goaltender postgame:
“He’s been great,” Theodore said following the 4-1 win. “He’s been so solid. I think we’ve given up too many chances, but he’s been big back there. He’s been a backbone ever since he came back.”
2. The team is fully bought in right now, and no one embodies that more than Reilly Smith. He’s been in and out of the lineup for a chunk of the season, but he’s never let that affect his work ethic or attitude around the locker room.
“We have high expectations, and we try to live that every day,” said Smith after his two-goal performance. “Through the organization, the players, everyone, tries to live up to that level. Every day we’re at the rink, we don’t accept losing, and I think the last couple of weeks are a good testament to that.”
3. And with that, the 2026 regular season comes to a close for the Vegas Golden Knights. They’ll kick off the postseason this weekend at home against the Utah Mammoth.
When asked if he had any early thoughts about their playoff opponent, John Tortorella simply replied:
We now know who the No. 7 seeds will be in both the Eastern and Western Conferences: the Philadelphia 76ers and Portland Trail Blazers, respectively.
Now, the final two games of the Play-In, which will be Friday, April 17, will determine the No. 8 seeds. The Orlando Magic will host the Charlotte Hornets in the East, and the Phoenix Suns will host the Golden State Warriors out West.
But first, we have the chance to make sense of the first round.
Here are the winners and losers of the NBA Play-In Tournament, thus far:
WINNERS
Stephen Curry makes his case for the future
Even if the Warriors happen to upset the Suns Friday, they won’t go far in the playoffs. For one, their opponent would be the defending-champion Thunder. For another, this roster has too many injuries and too many holes.
But Curry’s heroics in Golden State’s thrilling victory over the Clippers, his 35 points and 7 made 3-pointers, sent a message to the team’s front office. More specifically, it sent a message to general manager Mike Dunleavy, that he needs to be aggressive and reshape this roster for one last run. Curry, though, will need some help. The team needs more shooting. It won’t happen this year, but Curry showed that he’s still capable of greatness.
The Oklahoma City Thunder
They did not play but ended up winning, anyway. The Thunder own the unprotected 2026 first-round pick that belonged to the Clippers, the last remaining piece of the trade that sent Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to Oklahoma City.
Anyway, with Golden State’s victory over the Clippers, that pick is now a lottery selection, one with a 7.1% chance of becoming a Top 4 pick. The rich get richer.
Draymond Green
His defense on Kawhi Leonard was a masterclass in persistence and tenacity. Add those two big steals late in the game to an already iconic highlight reel.
The upstart Charlotte Hornets
Since the All-Star break, only the Spurs have a better offensive rating (121.8) and net rating (11.1) than the Hornets. San Antonio is a legitimate contender for a title. The Hornets still have to beat the Magic Friday to become the No. 8 seed — and to have the privilege of facing the No. 1 Detroit Pistons in the first round.
Either way, this is a massive moment for Charlotte, which earned its first postseason victory in nearly 10 years. One of the opposing players in the last Hornets victory April 27, 2016 was Amar’e Stoudemire … who was with the Heat. The Hornets play fast and shoot the ball extremely well. They’ve proven resilient. They’re also young and a fun watch and may be maturing in real time.
The morning after the Trail Blazers played their season-opening game, Tiago Splitter awoke to his phone buzzing with texts and calls that his boss, Portland head coach Chauncey Billups, had been arrested for his alleged role in an illegal gambling ring.
All Splitter has done as the interim is turn the Blazers into a balanced, fluid offense and a pesky team. Turnovers are still an issue, but the best sign that Portland could be on the come up is that the players — both young and veteran — have developed over the course of the season.
LOSERS
Jamahl Mosley and Paolo Banchero
The Magic feel like a team headed for a disruptive offseason. They’ve underwhelmed this season and Paolo Banchero has regressed somewhat; he often runs through his offensive actions as if overthinking or lacking confidence. His 7-of-22 night against the 76ers, including 0-of-5 from 3-point range, pointed to the inefficiency with which he has played this season.
Had the Magic won their season finale against the Celtics, who rested their top seven rotation players, they would’ve hosted the 76ers in the Play-In. Instead, Orlando lost and now faces a tough Hornets team. It all spells trouble for coach Jamahl Mosley, whose job may be tenuous, given the team’s lack of cohesion.
The Los Angeles Clippers
Now that their season is officially over, it stands reason to believe that the NBA-backed investigation into alleged salary cap circumvention during Kawhi Leonard’s acquisition will wrap up without hindrance. Los Angeles could find itself in a precarious situation, depending on the severity of any potential discipline, and it could get even worse.
The pick Indiana sent to Los Angeles as part of the Ivica Zubac-Bennedict Mathurin trade only conveys to the Clippers if it falls between Nos. 5-9; the Pacers have a 52.1% chance to get a Top 4 selection.
This team prides itself on competing every season and believing they can make a run deep into the postseason. But after four consecutive Play-In appearances, and after getting bounced Tuesday by the Hornets, it’s time for some introspection in Miami.
This roster isn’t balanced enough to threaten in the East. Miami may have solid stretches, but it simply lacks consistency. What’s worse is that coach Erik Spoelstra lacked trust in his rotations, tweaking them until the very end. Granted, the Heat faced injuries, but Spoelstra struggled to find combinations that worked with both Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware on the floor, just like he miscalculated the defensive shortcomings of a Tyler Herro-Norman Powell backcourt. Miami is stuck in purgatory, and this stale roster needs an overhaul.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — At the start of the fourth quarter, in 2:33 without Stephen Curry or Kawhi Leonard on the court, the Clippers were +4, stretching their lead over the Warriors to as much as 13.
It didn't feel like enough — Stephen Curry was starting to heat up.
Curry scored 27 of his 35 points in the second half — hitting 5-of-7 from deep — despite clearly being bothered by his troublesome right knee. It sparked a fourth-quarter double-digit comeback win by the Warriors, 126-121 in a dramatic play-in game.
"Everybody out there who thought Steph should have taken the rest of the year off, this is what he does," coach Steve Kerr said, pounding the table. "This is who he is."
With this win, the Warriors advance and will travel to Phoenix on Friday for a win-and-you 're-in final play-in game. The Clippers' season has come to an early and unceremonious end, despite an impressive second half of the season.
It wasn't just Curry who lifted the Warriors. Al Horford turned back the clock in the fourth quarter and went 4-of-4 from beyond the arc in the frame. Draymond Green had a strong defensive night against Kawhi Leonard, including a clutch steal near half court to help seal the win. The Warriors got 20-point games from Gui Santons (on 9-of-13 shooting) and Kristaps Porzingis (8-of-12). "I just told [the team], with all the wins we've ever had here, a lot of them there was a lot more at stake, this is right up there," Kerr said. "Just because, where we are and our age and the decline of our performance this year, and the injuries, it was just a display of just a beautiful display of competitive will.
A big part of what the Warriors did was keep Leonard in check. He finished with 21 points on 8-of-17 shooting, but was just 2-of-6 with Green as the primary defender. More than just Green, the Warriors brought early doubles when Leonard started to face up and make his move. This stat sums up the Clippers' night: In the first half, LA was +16 in Leonard's 20 minutes, but -8 in the four minutes he sat. For the Game, Leonard was +7.
Bennedict Mathurin led the Clippers with 23 points off the bench, including 5-of-6 from 3-point range. Darius Garland finished with 21 points but battled foul trouble most of the night.
The Clippers now head into the postseason with a cloud hanging over them in the form of the league investigation into Leonard and the franchise's dealings with former team sponsor Aspiration. There is speculation around the league about the future of Leonard with the Clippers, a team that traded away James Harden and Ivica Zubac during the season.
The day will come when the Warriors need to answer questions about their future, but for now the only future that matters to them is Friday night in Phoenix and a chance to get back into the playoffs.
"We've had a really difficult season in many ways, and we're looking at it like the free swing," Kerr said of the play-in before the game. "If we can go get a win tonight, get another crack at it Friday, and we're in the tournament, and then you got a chance, and that's all, that's all you really want."
It was a game filled with the offensive outage that has plagued this team for over a week now, a bullpen implosion and miscues in the field and basepaths that have become daily for this squad after the first 19 games of the season. All of that has led manager Carlos Mendoza, visibly upset, to state the obvious about his team after another lackluster defeat.
"We’re not playing good baseball right now," Mendoza said. "Everybody’s frustrated. We gotta use the off day tomorrow to regroup and get back at it because we gotta get going here. It’s not a good showing right now."
The Mets scored just two runs on five hits -- the second run coming in the ninth inning after the game was well in hand -- on Wednesday night. In the three-game series, New York scored just three runs and collected 12 hits. The Dodgers had 12 hits in Wednesday's game alone.
"I don’t really wrap my mind around it. It’s tough right now," Bo Bichette said of the team's losing streak after the game. "If we knew the answer, we’d do it. But we’ll keep working to try and figure it out."
Bichette, the biggest free agent signing on the offensive side this offseason, went 1-for-4 with a run scored in the series finale. He was just 2-for-11 in the series and is now batting .228 in the early going. But it's not just Bichette. With Juan Soto out with a calf injury, the Mets have simply not been able to get consistent offense.
During the eight-game losing streak, the Mets have scored just 12 runs. They've pushed across more than two runs just once in that span and have been shut out three times. It's something that no one who spoke after Wednesday's loss could understand, let alone explain.
"Guys just have to start playing better. It’s as simple as that," Mendoza said. "They’re too talented. But right now we’re not seeing anything on the field. It has nothing to do with preparation or the work they’re putting in. We just have to go out there and do it."
"I mean, it’s surprising, but you go through these things," Bichette said. "This is a bit extreme, probably, but it doesn’t help facing two of the best in the game the last two days. We could be swinging the bat well and running into [Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani], it’s like running into a buzzsaw. ...I don’t really got much to say other than I can’t explain it and will keep working on it to figure it out."
Clay Holmes, who held the Dodgers lineup to just two runs over five innings on Wednesday, repeatedly said that no one is pointing fingers in the clubhouse and that they all have their part to play in the losing streak.
"It’s baseball. If we had an answer, we definitely don’t want to be in this spot," Holmes said. "It’s one of those things you go in those stretches where it’s tough. There’s no pointing fingers. Everyone has to take it upon themself to help the team win."
Holmes shared his optimism with the reporters in the clubhouse. When asked what makes him confident that the Mets will turn things around, he said that the players' history of playing well is there.
"What people have done in the past is way better than what we’ve done here," Holmes said. "Can’t just look at the last couple of games and that defines us. These stretches, there’s a history and a future where we know where we can go."
Speaking on the offense specifically, Mendoza explained what is frustrating him the most during this stretch.
"We’re not dictating at-bats," he said. "Getting beat by fastballs even though there was some good fastballs byOhtani today, we swung through a lot of them today. We have to be able to put pressure and be in attack mode. Right now, understanding what guys are going through is contagious. At the same time, nobody is feeling sorry for us. We got to be able to dictate at-bats."
Bichette, who acknowledged that the players are upset by what's going on, echoed what Francisco Lindor said after Tuesday's loss about the offense being more competitive, and perhaps they can use it as a springboard to get back in the win column.
"Last couple of games, we competed a lot better," Bichette said. "At the end of the day, the mindset is to compete, I don’t care what the at-bats look like as long as we’re in there fighting. Two great pitchers that beat us. Obviously, we got to be better. But the commonality is two great pitchers."
The Mets will get a reprieve before starting a three-game series against the Cubs in Chicago on Friday afternoon. New York has played nine straight games and the off day could do the team good.
But make no mistake, the Mets are not happy with how the early season has gone, and that's exactly what the Mets skipper wants to see.
"They’re pissed. Frustrated. Not happy about it," Mendoza said of the mood of the team. "I want them to be pissed."
Chris Paul’s return to the L.A. Clippers didn't go the way he expected. He shared his reaction after his former team's disappointing performance in the NBA Play-In Tournament on Wednesday, April 15.
The Clippers parted ways with the 40-year-old guard in December 2025, but Paul clearly has kept his eyes on the team in the months that followed.
He shared a well-known meme of a man dressed for a funeral, in the moments following the Clippers' season-ending 126-121 loss to the Golden State Warriors on April 15.
— James H. Williams | USA Today (@JHWill) April 16, 2026
Paul was officially traded to the Toronto Raptors as part of a three-team trade on Feb. 5. He was waived by the Raptors and retired on Feb. 13. The 12-time All-Star spent 21 years in the NBA, including parts of seven seasons with the Clippers.
He averaged 2.9 points, 3.3 assists and 1.8 rebounds per game in 16 games played this season.
The Clippers finished third in the Pacific Division after closing out the regular season with a 42-40 record.
