The Minnesota Wild knocked out the Dallas Stars in the first round with their 5-2 win in Game 6. With this, the Wild are moving on to the second round.
A former Sabres forward helped play a role in the Wild's win, as Marcus Foligno recorded an assist.
Foligno picked up the primary helper on star defenseman Quinn Hughes' game-opening goal for Minnesota. It was a nice assist from Foligno, too, as he set up Hughes beautifully while on the rush.
With this assist, Foligno ended the series against the Stars with two points and a plus-2 rating in six games. Overall, the former Sabres forward played well for the Wild this series and will be looking to keep this kind of play up for Minnesota in the second round from here.
Foligno was selected by the Sabres with the 104th overall pick of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. In six seasons with the Sabres from 2011-12 to 2016-17, he had 49 goals, 67 assists, 116 points, and 1,023 hits. Since his time with the Sabres ended, he has spent each of the last nine seasons with the Wild.
Smokies infielder Jefferson Rojas (2) misses the ball during a Knoxville Smokies game against the Trash Pandas at Covenant Health Park in Knoxville, Tenn., on April 10, 2026. | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Arizona Complex League starts on Saturday, so there’s some movement in anticipation of that. The Iowa Cubs also got some (probably) temporary reinforcements.
Right-hander Vince Velazquez has elected free agency.
Right-hander Jace Beck was promoted to Triple-A Iowa from Double-A Knoxville.
Outfielder Jeury Ramirez was promoted from the Dominican Summer League Cubs-Red to Iowa.
Outfielder Freiker Betencourt was promoted from DSL Cubs-Red to Iowa.
Right-hander Jubrayker Salaya moved from DSL Cubs-Red to Iowa.
Right-hander Ben Johnson was demoted to High-A South Bend from Knoxville.
Second baseman Darlyn De Leon was promoted to Low-A Myrtle Beach from the ACL Cubs.
Outfielder Derik Alcantara was sent down to Mesa from Myrtle Beach.
Please note that the Cubs did not fly those players out of the Dominican Republic and send them to Iowa. They were in Arizona to be activated for Saturday’s season opener for Mesa and the Cubs just sent them to Iowa to fill out their roster. Presumably they will soon be sent back down to Mesa. None of those DSL players played for Iowa tonight.
It wasn’t a bad start for Charlie Barnes, but he got the loss as Iowa couldn’t score. Barnes’ final line was three runs on just two hits over five innings. He did walk three and hit one batter while striking out four.
Luke Little, Ethan Roberts and Tyler Beede all threw one inning of relief without allowing a hit or a run. Roberts retired the side in order in the seventh, striking out one. He somehow took 23 pitches to get those three batters out. Fifteen were strikes.
The I-Cubs outhit the Saints 8 to 2, but were outscored 3 to 1. First baseman Jonathon Long singled home third baseman James Triantos in the eighth inning. Both players were 2 for 4.
Long’s RBI single was pretty much it for the highlights for Iowa.
Grant Kipp started game one and took the loss after he allowed one run in the first inning and two more in the second. Kipp’s final line was three runs on four hits over 1.2 innings. Kipp walked three and struck out two.
Knoxville only had two hits in game one. Center fielder Jordan Nwogu was 0 for 1 with two walks and he scored the only Smokies run of the game on an Owen Ayers sac fly in the sixth.
Shortstop Jefferson Rojas was 1 for 3 with a double.
Three pitchers combined on a two-hitter in game two. Starter Dawson Netz pitched four innings and allowed no runs and one hit. Netz struck out seven and walked just one.
Luis Rujano threw the next two innings and got the win because Netz only went four innings. Rujano gave up one run on hit—a double by the first batter he faced in the fifth. Rujano struck out one and walked no one.
Vince Reilly retired the side in order in the seventh. He struck out one.
Third baseman Jefferson Rojas was 2 for 5 with an RBI double.
First baseman Edgar Alvarez went 2 for 4 with one run scored.
Second baseman Ed Howard was 2 for 4 with an RBi single in the second inning. He also scored on the Rojas double.
Center fielder Jordan Nwogu was a perfect 1 for 1 with three walks. He was also hit by a pitch with the bases loaded for an RBI. Nwogu also scored one run.
Koen Moreno started and got the loss. Moreno surrendered four runs on seven hits over 4.2 innings. Moreno struck out five and walked on.
Leonel Espinoza came into the game when Reginald Preciado left the game after getting hit by a pitch. Espinoza went 2 for 2 with a double and a solo home run in the eighth. It was his second home run this year.
Edwardo Melendez started and went four innings, allowing just one unearned run on one hit. Melendez struck out four and walked just one.
The win went to Victor Zarraga because Melendez didn’t go five. Zarraga relieved Melendez and pitched 3.1 innings, allowing one run on two hits. Zarraga did walk three and struck out six.
Braylon Myers pitched the final 1.2 innings and got his first career save. Myers did not allow a run or a hit, but he did walk two while striking out three.
The Pelicans scored all four runs in the second inning.
Center fielder Alexey Lumpuy went 2 for 4 with a two-run double.
First baseman Michael Carico was 2 for 4 and scored one run.
Left fielder Eli Lovich was 2 for 4 and scored one run.
The night after reader holycow8498 pointed out that right fielder Josiah Hartshorn had a 21-game on-base streak to start his professional career, Hartshorn was 0 for 4, snapping the streak.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - APRIL 30: Byron Buxton #25 of the Minnesota Twins celebrates against the Toronto Blue Jays on April 30, 2026 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Twins finally found the solution to their bullpen: just score enough that they can’t ruin it. Byron Buxton did everything he could, and this time, the rest of the lineup was able to deliver the key hits they’ve been lacking these past two weeks.
It was a pitcher’s duel early, with both teams only getting two baserunners through the first three innings. I wouldn’t say either Bailey Ober or Toronto starter Kevin Gausman had their best stuff, but the vets were mixing pitches and keeping opposing batters off balance.
I’ll focus the rest of this recap on the lineup, who deserve their flowers, but I want to again give a shoutout to Ober who keeps finding ways to get things done. What he’s doing is completely unprecedented in the modern game, which makes me skeptical he can keep it up, but he keeps delivering solid start after solid start. His average fastball velocity of 88 MPH is the slowest in the game by a healthy margin. The average four seamer from a righty averages 95.1 MPH. His strikeouts are down, his walks are up, but by golly he just keeps posting quality starts. I’ll take whatever we can get at this point.
Despite Ober’s wizardry, Daulton Varsho and the Jays finally struck in the fourth inning with a solo shot off of Ober. But for the first time in weeks, the Twins were ready to respond.
Trevor Larnach got the Twins their first non-Buxton leadoff baserunner. And then future All-Star Ryan Jeffers took command of the game. Jeffers fought off a bunch of tough pitches and finally got a fastball down the heart of the plate on pitch number 8. He gave the Jays’ bullpen a little souvenir for their troubles. 2-1 Twins.
Since we all can see the future, we know the Twins technically didn’t need another run but given the state of literally every single reliever in the organization, no one watching was comfortable with a one run lead. Luckily, we have the aforementioned Buxton, who is quite good at bashing baseballs. Buck’s solo dong in the sixth inning was his eighth of the season, all of which have come in the past two weeks. Safe to say we’re in the midst of another patented Buxton hot streak. Austin Martin plated one more in the frame with a clutch, two-out single.
Just to really cover their bases, Buxton got one final rally going in the 8th. A Buck single and a throwing error (largely caused by Buck’s speed) put two on for Josh Bell, who was able to deliver a clutch, two-run single of his own. Walks to Austin Martin and Kody Clemens left them juiced for Luke Keaschall, who brought in one final insurance run on a sac fly. With a six run lead, the lineup decided that the bullpen could (probably) handle it from there.
Twins win!
STUDS
Byron Buxton: 3-4, 1 HR, 1 2B, 2 R, 1 RBI
Ryan Jeffers: Go-ahead 2 run dong
Bailey Ober: 6 IP, 1 R, 4 H, 2 BB, 2 K
The bullpen!: 3 IP, 2 H, 1 BB
DUDS
NO DUDS TWINS WIN!!!
Comment of the game goes to Zach for being the real winner tonight.
The Twins close out April at 14-18, but are just two games back of the AL Central. They are also one of just five teams in the American League with a positive run differential, alongside the Tigers, Yankees, Mariners, and Rangers. The bullpen makes it extraordinarily hard to believe, but the Twins are still very much in this race with the first full month of the season in the books.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kyle Schwarber hit a tying double with two outs in the ninth inning, Alec Bohm delivered with his glove and bat in the 10th, and the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the San Francisco Giants 6-5 on Thursday night to sweep their split doubleheader.
Philadelphia trailed in the ninth inning of both games before rallying for two walk-off wins on the same day for the first time since July 24, 1998, a pair of 12-inning victories against the Florida Marlins.
Schwarber homered in the first inning of each game. Trea Turner launched a leadoff shot on Adrian Houser’s first pitch in the nightcap, and Schwarber followed with a 446-foot drive to right-center for his 11th homer this season.
Jung Hoo Lee put the Giants ahead 5-4 in the ninth with a two-out RBI single against José Alvarado, but pinch-hitter Brandon Marsh doubled off Keaton Winn to open the bottom half. Garrett Stubbs walked and Turner grounded into a double play before Schwarber, who was 4 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs scored, doubled to right field on a full-count splitter.
San Francisco had runners at the corners with none out in the 10th when Game 1 winner Chase Shugart (2-0), the seventh pitcher used by the Phillies in a bullpen game, struck out Matt Chapman. Bohm then made a diving grab of Luis Arraez’s line drive to third base, and Casey Schmitt flied out.
In the bottom half, Bryson Stott’s sacrifice bunt moved automatic runner Adolis García from second to third. Bohm, batting .151 this year, won it with a sacrifice fly to center against Matt Gage (2-1).
After sweeping the three-game series, the Phillies (12-19) are 3-0 since interim manager Don Mattingly took over after Rob Thomson was fired Tuesday. Philadelphia won the doubleheader opener 3-2 when Stott’s tying triple keyed a two-run rally in the ninth.
Shugart became the first big league pitcher to win both games of a doubleheader since Minnesota’s Brian Duensing at the Chicago White Sox on Aug. 9, 2013. The previous Phillies pitcher to accomplish the feat was Terry Adams at Cincinnati on Sept. 21, 2002.
Arraez tied it 4-all with a two-run single in the seventh, following a 24-minute rain delay in the sixth.
Up next
Giants LHP Robbie Ray (2-3, 2.70 ERA) pitches Friday at Tampa Bay.
Philadelphia begins a four-game series in Miami, with RHP Zack Wheeler (0-1, 3.60) tentatively scheduled for Friday night.
As time wound down in the play-in round and it was clear Philadelphia was about to advance to the playoffs, the 76ers faithful chanted "We Want Boston." Celtics fans were ready. As Boston celebrated its Game 4 win in this series, its fans mocked Philadelphia fans chanting "We Want Boston."
Be careful messing with the basketball gods, they are fickle.
There will be a Game 7 in Boston on Sunday — and the 76ers fans returned the favor, again changing "We Want Boston" at the end of their Game 6 win Thursday.
For the second game in a row, the 76ers played strong perimeter defense (holding Boston to 12-of-41, 29.3%, from 3-point range), plus got 30 points from an aggressive Tyrese Maxey, and had another strong outing from Joel Embiid in just his third game back from an appendectomy.
Philadelphia picked up a comfortable Game 6 win, 106-93, forcing a Game 7 on Saturday back in Boston.
For a couple of games now, the 76ers have done a good job of playing classic playoff basketball — they hunted mismatches for their stars in Maxey, Embiid and Paul George. The result was George scoring 23 on Thursday night, including going 5-of-9 from 3-point range, while Embiid finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.
On the flip side, Boston is playing slower than they want (or need to), missing their 3s, and their stars — Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown — have not been able to take advantage of mismatches, or when Embiid is in drop coverage. The ball has stuck for them for the last couple of games. Brown finished the night with 18 points on 7-of-17 shooting, while Tatum had a more efficient 17 points on 13 shots, with 11 rebounds. Payton Pritchard had 14 off the bench for Boston. Boston led after one quarter, 23-20, behind nine points and nine boards from Tatum. Then, in the second quarter, Maxey woke up. Philadelphia led by nine at the half, 58-49, thanks to Maxey, who scored 13 in the second quarter and 21 in the half. He was doing it from everywhere, shooting 4-of-7 in the paint and 3-of-3 from beyond the arc in the first half. Also in the second quarter, VJ Edgecombe did this.
However, the real difference in the first half was the 76ers' active perimeter defense, which chased the Celtics off the line — Boston went 6-of-15 from 3, but were 12-of-23 inside the arc and had nine turnovers.
In the face of that pressure, Jaylen Brown dominated the ball and it ground things down. He had five turnovers, wasn't consistently finding teammates, and on the other end he got back-cut multiple times.
In the third quarter, it was more of the same, and the 76ers started to pull away, leading by as many as 21.
Down 23 with 10 minutes left in the game, a frustrated Joe Mazzulla rolled out a Ron Harper Jr., Scheierman, Luka Garza, Jordan Walsh, and Pritchard lineup — and it worked. At first. They went on a 9-0 run and cut the lead down to 14 because the bench unit played fast and moved the ball, something the starters were not doing.
However, Maxey and the starters restored order and that was the ballgame.
Apr 30, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) showers infielder Alec Bohm (28) after the game against the San Francisco Giants at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
Seven straight splitters to Kyle Schwarber before he ripped a two-out, game-tying double that eventually led to another Philly win in 10 innings — the first time an MLB team has walked-off twice in a doubleheader in 22 years.
April 30th was really really so close to being a pretty dang good day. Two ball games, two leads in the 9th. 19 innings packed with some promising Giants baseball that ultimately has to get dumped into the toilet bowl and flushed.
This was so close to being a joyous, insightful recap about a 5-4 win, rather than an incoherent rant about a 6-5 palm-to-the-face loss. I still want to salvage something from the wreckage. Anything, really. Look, see, the offense was kind-a doing their job. 5 total runs scored. They erased a two-run deficit twice to put themselves in position to win in the 9th inning. Luis Arraez and Jung Hoo Lee each came through with clutch 2-out RBIs. The line-up out-hit the Phillies 13 to 9 and walked 5 times. A Giants batter hit with a runner in scoring position in seven of 10 innings. Two sacrifice flies!
All silver linings that as I sit here at my desk really really tired after a day of teaching and an evening of watching gut-punching baseball and a later-evening of writing with another day of teaching looming in the morning, I realize are not silver linings at all — rather instruments of torture.
There is no sunshine behind clouds. All clouds do is piss rain, postpone games and delay the inevitable. Spring has sprung a leak. Two deficits erased, more like two blown leads, aided by free bases, conviction-less offerings, and 2-out RBIs handed-out by relievers. 18 baserunners, 15 at-bats with a runner in scoring position, and all the offense could manage was two run-scoring hits with two sacrifice flies. All those opportunities lost. Rafael Devers, Willy Adames, and Matt Chapman all struck out twice each. Heliot Ramos followed his 3-hit afternoon with a 4 K evening.
And not to harp on this — but seven splitters in a row? Did we learn nothing from Ryan Walker’s stubbornness? And why was Keaton Winn even pitching to Schwarber in the first place? Schwarber had hit two homers on the day, and San Francisco arms had yet to get him out in the game. Winn had already thrown 1.2 innings and gave up a lead-off double in the 9th. Lefty Matt Gage was up in the bullpen. Instead of going for the left-on-left match-up, manager Tony Vitello stayed put, and the Winn-Bailey battery waffled between wanting to pitch to the slugger or not. The first two pitches were nowhere near the zone, then his splitters started creeping into bashin’ range, keeping Schwarber at the plate — which was the last place the Giants wanted him to be. Would it have been better to put the winning run on base, and face Bryce Harper? Was the thinking that the splitter had the best chance of eliciting chase, or poor contact, or keeping a ball in play on the ground? But there’s a point where an off-speed isn’t off speed anymore, and by the last one Winn threw, Schwarber was well-timed to it, got down on one knee and golfed it into right.
And why didn’t Drew Gilbert score from second on Ramos’s single in the 10th?
The ball ricocheted off Bryson Stott’s glove and rolled into no man’s land in shallow center — Gilbert would’ve scored easily, but third base coach Hector Borg decided to hold him at third. Did Borg lose track of the ball? Did he throw the stop sign up too early? Add ‘em to the list of exasperating questions!
During the postgame wrap, Ron Wotus referred to this as “a broken play” in which the action goes awry and the normal functions of a play get thrown out the window. Though it was possible Borg didn’t see the ball, Wotus — who knows a thing or two about coaching third — figured he threw up the stop sign with an abundance of caution. He had to make a split-second decision. There were no outs, the 2-3-4 hitters were due up. Wonky things happen on wonky plays, why risk getting thrown out at home? Turns out the Giants didn’t have the luxury of those precautions. Chapman struck out on a sinker out over the plate, Luis Arraez lined out…and that was basically the game.
So maybe Borg’s stop sign made some baseball sense — it’s just this team that doesn’t make baseball sense.
With the offense being so hit-or-miss, hot-or-cold, nothing feels guaranteed. Playing it safe doesn’t work. Scrap that philosophy, load up at the buffet, grab what ya can carry off the sale rack, take the money and run. Runners at the corners and nobody out is just as much a crap shoot as two-out and runner on second. Luis Arraez can dump an 0-2 change-up into right, or he can slap a liner right into the outstretched glove of Alec Bohm. Or if it’s Willy Adames at the plate, he can strike out on three pitches or four.
But we should’ve known it was going to end this way. Omens of disappointment announced themselves from the very beginning.
Trea Turner and Schwarber were up front about what was in store for Giants fans with back-to-back homers in the 1st inning off Adrian Houser.
While I’m glad, deep down…somewhere, that the Giants made things a little more interesting, my Thursday evening would’ve certainly been much simpler if that early 2-0 score held. Houser would’ve been the story, and what I wrote before the late-inning meltdown would’ve been much more relevant.
I already had a headline too: “Burning Down the Houser.” Great stuff. This is what I wrote.
Adrian Houser is made of straw and sticks. He’s been structurally unsound up on the hill, blown down by the slightest huff and puff from an opposing offense. The mound is nothing more than shifting sand beneath his feet, ground impossible to put one’s faith in. Houser entered Thursday’s start with a 7.36 ERA over his first five starts of the 2026 season, with a -10 Pitching Run Value. He had given up at least 4 earned runs in all but his first start and was still looking for answers to his 11-hit, 8-run thrashing by the Marlins when he took the mound in Philadelphia. Tipping pitches? Sure, man, maybe…or based on the first pitch solo shot by Trea Turner, it’s less that he’s tipping, and more that he’s just throwing. Throwing the baseball has really just not worked for Houser this past month. It’s time to tear down, to restructure and rebuild — if that fact wasn’t clear beforehand, it became obvious after Kyle Schwarber chased Turner’s solo shot with an absolute tank to deep right center.
Two batters into the game, two runs already in. Burn it all down, and Houser did. Right in the middle of the diamond, he burst into flames, becoming engulfed in a cleansing fire, and was reduced to ashes. Like a phoenix, he reformed in front of our eyes. A new man with gritted teeth, and a hardened, Clint Eastwood visage of determination. Or something like that. Houser didn’t become Dirty Harry, but he started getting hitters out. Batters no longer felt lucky to face him. A front door sinker froze Bryce Harper at the top of the zone. Two groundouts stranded Justin Crawford in the 2nd after his one-out triple that missed another solo home run by a couple of feet. The next Phillies hit off Houser wouldn’t come until two outs in the 5th. After walks to Schwarber and Harper in the 3rd, he got Adolis Garcia to ground into an inning-ending double play, then made a nice recovery play after taking a comebacker off his hip as part of an 8-pitch 4th. He dropped a wicked 0-2 curveball on Garrett Stubbs for the second out in the 5th before Turner punched a single up the middle, chasing Houser from the hill, before coming around to score three batters later.
The 4.2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 2 HR isn’t quite a .44 magnum of a pitching line, but considering how poorly Houser has pitched, and how poorly his afternoon started, those particular results are a decent step forward. He held the line long enough for the Giants offense to piece themselves back into the game. The third run earned was hardly his fault considering Turner essentially walked around the bases with Ryan Borucki on the hill.
At just 68 pitches, and it being Philadelphia’s first hit since the 2nd, it did seem like a quick trigger by Vitello. Then again, take a moment to think about it, and the decision was pretty understandable. Don’t be swayed by recency bias. Houser pitched well for three innings. Did we truly believe he had been rebuilt, or reborn? Did we want to see him face off against Schwarber for a third time if the homer in the first still hadn’t returned to earth? And with lefty specialist Ryan Borucki, why give Houser more rope to potentially trip himself on? The button was there, rosy red and flashing, and Vitello punched it. Many of us would have.
Having not pitched in six days, Borucki was well-rested and well-rusted. He was holding the baseball but didn’t seem to be in control against Philadelphia’s power lefties. With count leverage, Schwarber flipped a hustle double to left field. Harper then walked on four pitches to bring up the right-hander Adolis Garcia, who sawed a 3-2 slider into left for a 2-run single to regain the lead.
Soon after a passing spring shower relieved itself over south Philly postponing the game for half-an-hour. Some Giants fans may have preferred it if the grounds crew had just kept the tarp on the field and called the game then.
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins kicked off their Atlantic Division Semifinal series against the Hershey Bears with a bang on Thursday night.
WBS raced out to a 3-0 lead before winning 4-2, taking a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series.
Atley Calvert opened the scoring for WBS at 3:02 of the first period. He carried the puck into the offensive zone and ripped the puck past Hershey goaltender Clay Stevenson from the slot.
— x - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) April 30, 2026
WBS took that 1-0 lead into the intermission before Aidan McDonough made it 2-0 at 5:16 of the second period. He also scored from the slot area.
WBS later had a power play in the second period when Owen Pickering made it 3-0. Ville Koivunen dished him the puck and he fired it from the point, giving WBS a three-goal lead.
— x - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) May 1, 2026
Hershey made it a one-goal game in the third period before Avery Hayes put the game away with an empty-net goal, giving WBS the 1-0 series lead. Hayes has been one of the baby Penguins' best players this year and has also scored five goals in the NHL.
Penguins prospect Harrison Brunicke was all over the ice in this one and he wasn't afraid to get physical, either. Brunicke played in nine NHL games this year before being sent back to Kamloops. Once his junior season ended, he was sent to WBS.
Goaltender Sergei Murashov finished with 31 saves on 33 shots and got his first career win in the Calder Cup Playoffs.
WBS will try to take a 2-0 lead in the series on Saturday.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 27: Kristaps Porzingis #7 of the Golden State Warriors dunks against Justin Champagnie #9 of the Washington Wizards in the fourth quarter at Chase Center on March 27, 2026 in San Francisco, California. 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 Eakin Howard/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Some nights don’t belong to the team. They belong to the moment a player steps into a new role and stops looking like a newcomer.
The Golden State Warriors spent this season searching for versions of themselves that could hold, and every now and then, someone gave them one. This series is about those nights where something clicked just long enough to show what it could be. Kristaps Porzingis’ balling out against his former team the Washington Wizards was such a night back in March. How apropos that it happened on 3:16 Day, as KP stormed into that old building like Stone Cold Steve Austin to kick some butt.
Nobody was going to call this one a classic. The Wizards were operating in full tank mode, starting players who weren’t alive when Anchorman came out while keeping one eye fixed on the draft lottery. The Warriors were missing players up and down their roster, running on whatever combination of desperation and muscle memory gets a team through a skid with the play-in slipping away. This was exactly the kind of game Golden State couldn’t afford to lose and looked entirely capable of losing anyway.
And then Porzingis walked into his old hood and remembered who he was.
Thirty points on 8-of-13 shooting, 13-of-14 from the free throw line, five rebounds, four assists, three blocks, two steals in 26 minutes. Against the franchise that couldn’t figure out what to do with him. There is something deeply satisfying about that specific combination of things, a player returning to his former building carrying a roster down to its bones and being so completely dominant that the box score reads like a personal statement rather than a basketball game.
The way he got there was the real story. He worked every angle the Wizards gave him, using his size to put smaller defenders in impossible situations and making every free throw Washington sent his way. The Wizards eventually concluded the only way to slow him was to foul him relentlessly, treating him like he was Bam Adebayo and sending him to the line on every Warriors possession down the stretch. He went 13-of-14 from the charity stripe. By the Warriors’ standards that week, this was a masterpiece of organizational functionality, the kind of night where a depleted team shows exactly enough to remind you what they could be when the right pieces are healthy and present.
That last part is the wound underneath the performance. Because what Porzingis showed in Washington wasn’t just a good game against a bad team. It was a demonstration of everything the Warriors thought they were getting when they made the deal, a 7-foot-2 second option who could close games, space the floor, protect the rim, and carry a half-broken roster through a stretch where everyone above him on the depth chart was in the training room. The version that showed up at Capital One Arena that Monday night was exactly the player the front office envisioned, the player who was supposed to make life easier for the best shooter in basketball history if only the basketball gods would cooperate.
The Chicago Blackhawks came in last place in the NHL's Central Division in 2025-26. They had an 11-point improvement from the year prior, but their division is the best in the league.
On Thursday night, Central Division rival Minnesota Wild and Dallas Stars played the sixth game of their first-round series. Going in, the series was the story of one team (Minnesota) dominating at 5-on-5, and the other (Dallas) owning the special teams battle. This had the Wild up 3-2 in the series with a chance to clinch at home.
It was a back-and-forth affair throughout the first two and a half periods until Quinn Hughes gave the Wild a 3-2 lead at 10:38 of the final frame. The Wild added two empty net goals and won 5-2. This earned them their first series win in 11 years.
The Wild will move on to play the Presidents' Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche, another Central Division squad. These three teams, Colorado, Dallas, and Minnesota, were all top 8 NHL teams, but one had to be eliminated after one round because of the playoff format.
The truth of the matter is that the Blackhawks are nowhere near these teams as currently constructed. Watching the way the Wild dominated even-strength play against the Stars, who are still an elite team, showed just how far away the Blackhawks are. Add in the Avalanche, and it makes it even bleaker.
Even the Utah Mammoth, which made the playoffs out of the Central Division through the Wild Card, is way ahead of Chicago. Utah is down 3-2 in their series to the Vegas Golden Knights, but they have shown tremendous fight against a veteran team with Stanley Cup pedigree. The series is still far from over.
Could a couple of wise moves get the Blackhawks on par with teams like the St. Louis Blues, Nashville Predators, or Winnipeg Jets? It's possible, but those teams are always looking to improve as well.
When it comes to competing with teams like the top three in the Central, the Blackhawks need a number one defenseman in the neighborhood of Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes, and Miro Heiskanen, and those guys don't grow on trees.
Connor Bedard could become a superstar of the highest level, and his supporting cast is only going to get better, but there is a ton of development needed there.
Not only are these the teams that the Blackhawks need to jump in the standings if they want to become a winner again, but they are also the ones they will see as opponents on the ice most often.
The sport of hockey is in for a treat with this second-round series between the Wild and Avalanche. Colorado has been on a second-round collision course with one of Dallas or Minnesota since American Thanksgiving, and it's finally here.
What is the solution for the Blackhawks team trying to get to this level? Stay the course. Keep developing their young players, adding talent to the NHL roster when they are ready, and be ready to jump on a big trade or free agency signing when the time is right.
As of now, Chicago's biggest strengths are its farm system, its cap space, and its development success. As the years go on, it will all come together, and they will slowly but surely start competing with these teams.
They just aren't there yet, and these teams are showing why as they go through the Stanley Cup playoffs.
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Tyrese Maxey scored 30 points, a resurgent Paul George had 23 points and a Philadelphia 76ers’ team that lost by 32 points twice in this first-round playoff series played their most complete game of the season and forced Game 7 with a 106-93 win over the Boston Celtics on Thursday night.
The decisive game is Saturday in Boston.
Uplifted by Joel Embiid’s early return from an appendectomy, the Sixers rebounded from two blowout losses to win Game 5 in Boston and were buoyed by a throwback effort from George to keep a comfortable lead in Game 6.
Embiid did his part in Game 6 with 19 points.
Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers smiles during the game against the Boston Celtics during Round One Game Six of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 30, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NBAE via Getty Images
The play of the game — and maybe the series — came in the third when Kelly Oubre Jr. blocked Jaylen Brown, Maxey scooped the loose ball and fed to George on the break who then dazzled with a behind-the-back pass to VJ Edgecombe who finished with a thunderous dunk for a 69-54 lead.
A night after the Flyers won in overtime to advance to the second round of the NHL playoffs, Sixers fans cut loose after that slam.
The 76ers will only go as far as Embiid can take them on his injury-prone 7-foot frame and Maxey is a bona fide All-Star. Edgecombe’s youthful exuberance made a fan favorite in Philly and an NBA Rookie of the Year finalist.
Lost in the shuffle at times is the 35-year-old George — in large part this season because of a 25-game suspension for flunking a drug test — who has deferred to the other three Sixers when needed yet can still flash that All-Star form. George hit a team-high five 3s that all stretched the lead and the offense ran through him when Embiid — still recovering from his early April surgery — was on the bench.
Paul George and Justin Edwards of the Philadelphia 76ers celebrate during the game against the Boston Celtics during Round One Game Six of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 30, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NBAE via Getty Images
George signed with the Sixers in the summer of 2024 on a four-year, $212 million free-agent contract and was expected to form a 1-2 championship punch with Embiid. George was instead derailed by injuries, personal issues and the suspension that had him forgotten at times by fans and in the offense.
Not against Boston. He keyed Philadelphia’s game of the season, a stunner given how the Celtics toyed with them in their three wins this series. The Celtics never led in Game 6.
Brown was hampered by three fouls in the first half and finished with 18 points. Jayson Tatum had 17 for the Celtics and left in third quarter with an apparent calf injury.
The Celtics went more than 4 minutes without a point to close the third and the Sixers stormed into the final quarter with an 82-63 lead.
The Minnesota Wild hadn't advanced past the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2015, but that was made ancient history on Thursday evening.
Former Michigan Wolverines defenseman Quinn Hughes, who had been linked to the Detroit Red Wings earlier this season, along with former Red Wings forward Vladimir Tarasenko, both played key roles in their Game 6 victory over the Dallas Stars, sending them on a collision course with the Colorado Avalanche.
Hughes, who was traded from the Vancouver Canucks to the Wild in December despite being heavily linked to the Red Wings, scored twice as part of Minnesota's 5-2 victory at Grand Casino Arena.
Meanwhile, Tarasenko, who more than doubled his goal output this season with Minnesota after scoring only 11 last season with Detroit, also scored for the host Wild.
Tarasenko is one of several former Red Wings who made an appearance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs this spring.
Not only is Tarasenko with the Wild, but so is veteran defenseman Jeff Petry, who started this season with the Florida Panthers but was later trade to Minnesota.
Anthony Mantha and Elmer Soderblom, now with the Pittsburgh Penguins, were recently eliminated from the opening round by Luke Glendening and the Philadelphia Flyers.
Goaltender Alex Lyon, who played two seasons with the Red Wings, is on the verge of a second round appearance with the Buffalo Sabres should he and his teammates defeat the Boston Bruins in Game 6 on Friday.
And while he's not playing, former Red Wings first-round draft selection Joe Veleno is part of the Montreal Canadiens squad that is one win away from eliminating the Tampa Bay Lightning.
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PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 30: Paul George #8 of the Philadelphia 76ers shoots a three point basket in front of Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics during the second quarter in Game Six of the First Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena on April 30, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 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 Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Tyrese Maxey and Paul George sliced up the Boston Celtics defense in the Philadelphia 76ers’ 106-93 win on Thursday night, sending the series to a decisive Game 7 back in Boston.
The game will determine whether Boston or Philadelphia will move on to the Eastern Conference Semifinals to face the New York Knicks, who crushed the Atlanta Hawks to clinch their series earlier the same night.
The Celtics once again sported a clean injury report and started Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser, Jayson Tatum and Neemias Queta.
Embiid, who was listed as probable before the game, was available and started next to Tyrese Maxey, V.J. Edgecombe, Paul George and Kelly Oubre Jr.
The game started off shaky on both sides, but the Sixers came out with the slightly steadier hand. Boston shot 3 of 10 from the floor to begin the game, with a few easy misses — including two painful misses from White and a missed layup and free throw from Tatum — and no three-point makes. On the other hand, Philly went 4 of 10, with a pair of three-pointers from George and Maxey. About halfway through the first quarter, the Sixers led the Celtics 11-8.
Brown led the C’s early offensive efforts, but it was not pretty. He had a bad turnover and a couple of fouls, as well as missed a free throw while going 1 of 4 from the field.
Tatum hit Boston’s first three-pointer of the game with about 5 minutes to go in the first quarter, and Payton Pritchard got a transition layup to get the team’s first lead of the game. He and Tatum helped build some offensive momentum toward the end of the quarter, as Pritchard hit a midrange fadeaway and Tatum hit a second three-pointer and a couple free throws to tie the game at 20.
Hauser, who opened the game with a slick finger roll layup, hit an open three-pointer from the wing to put the Celtics up 23-20 before the first quarter came to a close.
The second quarter opened up with a continued effort from Brown to get going, but his rocky first quarter performance carried over into the second frame. He hit a tough midrange shot to start the quarter and drew a shooting foul on another play, but missed both free throws and lost another ugly turnover. He was only 2 of 6 from the free throw line about halfway through the quarter.
At the same time, Embiid was struggling a bit. He started off only 3 of 9 from the floor and missed a couple open midrange shots, where he usually feasts. While he hit a wide open three-pointer that Luka Garza didn’t even try to contest, Philly’s offense was largely driven by Maxey and George.
Brown hit his first three-pointer and led the team in scoring with 13 by the time he was called for his third foul on a push-off. Queta followed that with another offensive foul, this time an illegal screen, allowing the Sixers to take a 44-36 lead with less than 5 minutes to go in the half.
With Brown off the floor, Tatum took over on offense and did a decent job, but the Celtics simply couldn’t stop the Sixers on defense. Behind Maxey’s slashes to the basket and a 3 of 5 start from three-point range from George, Philly outpaced Boston to a 51-42 lead with about 3 minutes to go in the half.
White, whose struggles throughout the series continued into the first quarter, hit a pair a free throws and his second three-pointer of the night, but a 13-point quarter from Maxey kept the Sixers’ lead at 9 points, 58-49, heading into halftime.
Maxey led the game in scoring at the half, with 21 points, 2 assists and 2 steals on 53.3% shooting from the floor and 3 of 3 shooting from three-point range.
Tatum was the game’s second leading scorer at the half, with 15 points, 10 rebounds and 2 assists on 50% shooting from the field and three-point range.
Brown had 13 points on 55.6% shooting from the field and 50% on three-pointers, but also had 3 fouls and 3 turnovers.
While both team’s shooting percentages were similar at the half, the Sixers put up 9 more field goal attempts and 4 more three-point attempts. Boston also had almost twice the number of turnovers, 9-5, as Philly.
The second half started rough for the Celtics, with an early turnover leading to a George three-pointer, then an offensive foul call against Brown — his fourth foul of the game, only 30 seconds into the third quarter. Soon after, Philly got back-to-back plays where behind-the-back passes skewered Boston’s defense for easy buckets, and took a 69-54 lead less than four minutes into the half.
White hit his third three-pointer of the night coming out of the timeout, but nothing else was falling for them. On the other hand, the Sixers kept up the pressure with a fifth three-point make from George, who got hot and had 10 points over the period. Philly went up 74-59 with about 5 minutes to go in the third quarter.
While the Celtics had a few good looks to cut into the Sixers’ lead over the rest of the quarter, they failed to capitalize on each opportunity and went 3 minutes without scoring a point. While many of the C’s offensive possessions boiled down to tough shots, even the open shots didn’t fall.
Philly went on an 8-2 run and took an 82-63 lead to end the quarter — and it could have been even worse, as Andre Drummond hit a corner 3 just after the buzzer sounded.
The Sixers’ onslaught only continued as the fourth quarter began. Pritchard got the first bucket of the frame, but Philly hit the next three shots and took an 88-65 lead with about 10 minutes to go in the game.
Coach Joe Mazzulla emptied the bench early, deploying a lineup of Pritchard, Ron Harper Jr., Baylor Scheierman, Jordan Walsh and Garza. They brought some new energy to the court and cut the Sixers’ lead to 88-74 with a pair of three-pointers from Garza and Harper. The group went on an 11-0 run over their first 3 minutes on the court together and cut the lead to 12.
Nevertheless, the Sixers’ offense got back in gear and hit four straight free throws and a three-pointer to extend the lead to 20 points with about 5 minutes to go, putting the game out of reach for the Celtics.
Tatum finished with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 3 assists, while shooting 46.2% from the field and 33.3% from three-point range.
Brown shot 41.2% from the floor and 33.3% from three-point range in an 18-point and 2-assist performance lowlighted by 5 turnovers and 4 fouls.
Pritchard and White were Boston’s only other players to finish with double-digit points, as they scored 14 and 11, respectively.
Maxey ended the game with 27 points, 5 assists and 2 steals, on 50% shooting from the field and 50% from three-point range.
Embiid racked up 19 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists, while George scored 23 points on 55.6% shooting from deep in his best showing of the series.
Game 7 will be on Saturday, May 2, at TD Garden, but its time and broadcast had yet to be determined as of Thursday night.
Apr 30, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Kazuma Okamoto (7) prepares for the at bat of Minnesota Twins second baseman Luke Keaschall (15) in the second inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images | Matt Blewett-Imagn Images
Blue Jays 1 Twins 7
That was awful in a lot of ways.
The offense was sad, just six hits, only one an extra base hit, Daulton Varsho’s fourth of the season. It was good to see, because he’s looked lost at the plate. George Springer had two singles. Vlad, Clement, and Valenzuela had one single each. And we had only three walks.
Kevin Gausman wasn’t the Kevin Gausman we’ve seen up until now this year. 5.2 innings, 4 earned, 2 home runs against, 2 walks and 2 strikeouts. I don’t know if it was the cool weather, or that it was just his turn not to be great.
They made two errors in the eighth inning (when it was 4-1 and you could squint and say they still had a chance:
With a runner on first (Byron Buxton) and one out, Ryan Jeffers popped one up to the third base side of the mound. Vlad called it, he shouldn’t have. Being fair, it was likely on the first base side of the mound when he called it, but Kazuma should have called him off when he saw it was much closer to him. Anyway, Vlad stumbled on the mound and the ball fell. Okamoto picked it up and threw to second, where they could have got the force on Buxton, but rushed and threw wide. It ended up with runners on second and third.
Then Josh Bell singled and Davis Schneider threw it in, Andres Gimenez cut it off and threw it…..somewhere, well towards second but it went by Clements at second and two runs scored.
I guess the bullpen was pretty good:
Tommy Nancy got four outs, three strikeouts.
Mason Fluharty was the one the unlucky one to be on the mound when we forgot how to play defense. But he did give up two walks and two hits (one of them was that popup that I think I could have caught, but the one after that hit near the top of the wall in left. He only got one out.
Joe Mantiply got the last two outs.
No Jays of the Day.
Other Award: Gausman (-.17) and Jesus Sanchez (-.09) and lets give one to Vlad, Okamoto and Gimenez for their “defense”, though their offense was bad too.
Tomorrow we have game two. Hopefully the Jays will actually play. It is an 8:00 start time. Patrick Corbin (0-0, 3.72 ERA) starts for the Jays. Simeon Woods Richardson (0-4, 6.30) starts for the Twins.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 30: VJ Edgecombe #77 of the Philadelphia 76ers celebrates during the game against the Boston Celtics during Round One Game Six of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 30, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 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
Maybe we do want Boston?
The Sixers smoked the Celtics 106-93 in Game 6 in a contest that was not as close as the score would indicate. There will a Game 7 in Boston Saturday.
Tyrese Maxey was brilliant from start to finish, leading all scorers with 30 points, shooting 11-of-22 from the floor along with five assists. Joel Embiid didn’t shoot well but still had the offense humming with his gravity. He finished with 19 points, going 6-of-18 from the floor.
Paul George was the flamethrower the Sixers needed, scoring 23 points, shooting 8-of-17 from the field and 5-of-9 from three.VJ Edgecombe was very complementary in transition, finishing with 14 points on 11 shots along with eight rebounds. Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 18.
Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.
First Quarter
It didn’t take as long for Embiid to find his jumper as he nailed a turnaround from the midrange on his first touch of the game. He and Edgecombe went on to miss open threes as both offenses started off slow. Embiid and Jayson Tatum had dueling and-1s off of drives, but Tatum even missed the free throw. George hit the first three of the game and Maxey shook Derrick White on the following possession to do the same.
Embiid was operating a lot from the three-point line again, and again did miss his first two shots from behind the arc. The offense stalled out for a couple minutes after that second three before Maxey got to the basket. Quentin Grimes checked in around the same time for Edgecombe, so he wasn’t taking any of Kelly Oubre Jr.‘s minutes. The two of them worked to strip Brown on Grimes’ first possession of the game.
It became very clear that the Sixers were happy with whatever shot Boston took as long as it came from inside the arc. While the Celtics made three of them, they only attempted seven in the quarter. The Sixers generated the looks they wanted to on the other end as well, playing out of Embiid and Maxey’s two-man game. Like a lot of other moments in this series, they could not get them to go. The fast break layup Grimes smoked doesn’t count towards this category, but the three wide open jumpers from inside the foul line Embiid missed did. The Celtics took a three-point lead as the Sixers missed their last seven shots of the first.
Second Quarter
The Sixers’ field goal drought lasted a couple minutes into the quarter, but Edgecombe and Embiid getting to the line while keeping Boston off the board. Embiid nailed a three to end two droughts. Brown answered with a bucket and Edgecombe threw down a big transition dunk with Brown in the area as the teams spent a few minutes on the seesaw.
White and Oubre have struggled more than anyone to shoot the ball in this series and they both knocked down threes in the quarter as the shotmaking picked up. The Sixers were still getting good looks on the majority of their touches. Maxey was the most consistent. He would use up the entirety of the half court getting to the basket and was able to weave his way through. George got hot as well, but that was from behind the arc.
The Sixers had some weird, potentially momentum killing plays, like Oubre turning it over right after grabbing a rebound and a reckless Embiid foul on a defender after Maxey had made a layup. For every one, the Sixers, mainly Maxey, had an answer in the first half. He was able to drill a three despite selling out to draw a foul, and he got to the rim again to put the Sixers up by nine at the break.
Third Quarter
The second half couldn’t have started better for the Sixers as Oubre stole an errant pass in the lane and found George for another three on the break. On the ensuing possession, Brown was called for a moving screen to pick up his fourth of the night before Embiid hit a midrange J. As the Celtics were reeling, Brown made a tough step-back three in Oubre’s face, but the Sixers responded with two beautiful behind-the-back passes. Embiid hit Oubre in the dunker passing out of a double while George was able to thread the needle to Edgecombe in transition.
White was easily having his best game of the series as he made another three coming out of the Celtics’ timeout. George was able to answer that right after Oubre caught an Embiid airball and popped it right back in.
Once the Sixers had gotten their lead to 15, their offense would stall again. Maxey was able to get to the basket again and George nailed a couple tough pull-ups to answer Boston’s nibbling. A couple stops later and Maxey extended the lead with an amazingly acrobatic layup. Andre Drummond appeared to drill a three from the corner, but he just didn’t get up in time and the Sixers had to settle for a 19-point lead after three.
Fourth Quarter
The offense kept rolling for the first two minutes of the quarter with Embiid and Justin Edwards able to get easy baskets in the midrange. Embiid looked to do it again before hitting a cutting George on the baseline for a reverse layup. After a timeout, Joe Mazzulla put in an all-bench lineup, a move that felt like a message to his own team more than anything. Those guys were able to rip off an 11-0 run to remind everyone that the game wasn’t over yet.
That run was ended by a much needed friendly roll on an Embiid jumper. Maxey making another winding layup did a lot to settle things. The crowd really felt back in it when Oubre drew a foul and Embiid mimicked Oubre’s push-ups getting back up. Embiid then found Edgecombe out of the post for a big corner three.
This is the blend the Sixers can hit. Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid pick and roll. Maxey gets two on the ball, Embiid pops. Celtics help but that puts Baylor on him. Embiid posts and the Celtics help. Opens a 3 for VJ Edgecombe. pic.twitter.com/mdWMe5pJdx
The Celtics never put their starters back in the game. Something worth monitoring is that Tatum appeared to leave with an injury. Embiid and George finally checked out for the night with two minutes left up by 14, soon to be 15 after an impressive and-1 from Edgecombe.
Perhaps the U.S. figure skating team should stay on the ice and away from the diamond.
Multiple members of the team — including some from the gold medal-winning squad from the 2026 Winter Olympics — appeared at Citi Field to throw out the first pitch ahead of the Mets’ 5-4 loss to the Nationals on Thursday.
Although the skaters are known for their gracefulness, their attempts at throwing out the first pitch could not have been more chaotic.
The US Olympic figure skating team threw the first pitch at the Mets game today and it did not seem to go as planned pic.twitter.com/4zl2AVjvTK
Pairs skaters Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea went first. X / @SNY_Mets
Despite landing an impressive jump beforehand, Glenn’s ball soared over Zingas’ head.
Evan Gates, who was part of the silver medal-winning ice dancing duo in Milan, threw the only successful pitch of the day to skater Jason Brown.
Despite landing an impressive jump beforehand, Glenn’s ball soared over Zingas’ head. X / @SNY_Mets
The first pitch ceremony was perhaps a precursor to a chaotic Mets game, which marked their 17th loss over the past 20 games.
Washington jumped out to a two-run lead after a two-base throwing error by Mets pitcher Freddy Peralta.
The Mets later answered with a three-run homer by MJ Melendez, but ultimately lost a lead in the eighth inning after reliever Luke Weaver gave up a two-run blast to Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams.
The pitches could not have gone more chaotically. X / @SNY_Mets
“This pursuit of perfection is just an ultimate pressurized failure mindset,” Weaver told reporters following the loss. “I just think it becomes everybody wants to be the hero because we care and we want to win really, really bad.
“And I just don’t think success lives in that realm. The freedom of which we play day to day is kind of being suffocated a little bit.”
