HOUSTON, TEXAS - APRIL 26: Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets sits on the bench with Alperen Sengun #28 during the first half against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game Four of the First Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Toyota Center on April 26, 2026 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After falling behind 3-0 to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Houston Rockets have some life again – winning Game 4 and Game 5 to bring the series back to Texas for a Game 6.
Arguably the most bizarre part of all of this is that the Rockets’ have managed this without their leading scorer and best player, Kevin Durant.
Given how notorious Durant is, this raises an interesting question: are the Rockets a better team without Durant?
The answer is obviously a resounding no. But then, in a weird way, it is also yes. When the Rockets initially traded for Durant, I was skeptical that it would elevate them to the next level in the way they thought it would.
Even at the relatively geriatric age of 37, Durant is still one of the most formidable scorers in the association. But so much of Houston’s success last year was predicated on their youth and athleticism sparking easy offense in transition. That just isn’t who Durant is. And since he’s more of a ceiling raiser than a floor enhancer on offense, the value he adds in the halfcourt doesn’t justify what they lose in turnover creation.
We saw this signal in the regular season. In his minutes, the Rockets had a pedestrian change in their point differential (49th percentile, per Cleaning the Glass). Durant improved their offense (+3.4 points per 100 possessions), but the hit to their defensive rating was slightly higher (+4.1 per 100).
The bottom line here is the Rockets’ halfcourt offense is too flawed for Durant to fix. So, trying to win the turnover battle is still their best avenue for success. That’s exactly what’s happened in the last two games. In Games 4 and 5, Houston has won the turnover battle 39-24 and the points off of turnover battle 48-32.
Even the miniature Reed Sheppard does a better job of defensive playmaking (93rd percentile steal rate) than The Slim Reaper (17th percentile steal rate). When it looked like the Rockets were going to choke another game away down the stretch, it was the sophomore guard who grabbed it by its balls, literally:
Of course, this doesn’t explain how the Rockets lost Games 1 and 3, which Durant also wasn’t in uniform for (frankly, nothing can explain their Game 3 collapse). It also helps that the Lakers are shooting just 24.5% from three in the last two games after hitting 46.5% of those shots in the first three games of the series.
Still, it is a fascinating case study in the idea that acquiring better teams doesn’t necessarily make your team better. And with the recent news that Durant is a no-go for Game 6 as well, who knows, maybe Houston takes this thing all the way to seven.
DALLAS, TX - APRIL 29: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks poses for a photo with Caleb Martin #16, Kyrie Irving #11, Max Christie #00, Dereck Lively II #2 and Jason Kidd during the 2026-26 Rookie of the Year Presentation on April 29, 2026 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Y’all are chatty! The previous thread accrued over 1,000 comments in 11 days. Well done, we’re glad you’re here. Here’s the old thread in case you need to carry over.
Since the posting of the last thread, Dallas has lost the coinflip (firmly sitting in eight now) and Cooper Flagg has won Rookie of the Year.
Nothing else has happened and that stinks. I would like Dallas to hire a General Manager already! Granted, because we haven’t heard anything doesn’t mean much, but it’s stressful all the same.
Try out the FEED for one-off things. It’s supposed to drive more clicks and traffic. Those things help keep us at MMB.
Keep it civil, keep me posted on anything I need to know, and thanks for hanging out.
April is just about over, which means it’s time for our first GM approval poll of the 2026 regular season. We’ve learned several things through the first month of games. The American League could be an absolute dogpile with just the Yankees and Rays better than one game over .500, while across the league managers’ seats are getting hotter earlier than ever. Boston’s Alex Cora and Philadelphia’s Rob Thomson learned this lesson the hard way and free-falling Mets skipper Carlos Mendoza seems likely soon to follow. Before the season started, we polled our readers on their confidence level in Brian Cashman and the team he assembled heading into the new campaign, voters overwhelmingly voicing their disapproval of the Yankees GM. Now that we are a month into the season, we are curious if any of those opinions have changed.
The Yankees started their season with a three-game sweep of the Giants at Oracle Park, followed by series wins against the Mariners and Marlins. But then the offense went silent, leading to a 2-9 stretch against the A’s, Rays, and Angels. That span included a five-game losing streak, getting one-hit by the Rays, and going 17 consecutive innings without scoring. This inability to dent home plate was primarily attributed to being dragged down by the worst bottom of the order in MLB.
It's still very early in the season, but the Yankees entered today's game with the worst 6-7-8-9 hitters in baseball.
Those spots had a combined 22 wRC+ before today's game. They are currently 0-for-6 with 3 Ks today.
Despite splitting that four-game split with the Halos, they built positive momentum as the offense started to click — this time it was the pitching’s fault, giving up 32 runs including an eye-watering 13 home runs in those four games. They rode that wave to a 10-2 finish to the month to reclaim their lead atop the division. That span included back-to-back sweeps of the Royals and Red Sox, an eight-game winning streak, four straight series victories, and a 26-inning scoreless streak by their pitching staff.
The dominant narrative of the early going has been the Yankees’ stellar starting pitching. Cam Schlittler and Max Fried are one and two in fWAR among all qualified pitchers. The highest ERA of their four regular starters belongs to Ryan Weathers at 3.21, and he has acquitted himself well since joining from Miami over the winter. Both he and Will Warren have a double-digit strikeout start to their names, the latter looking like he has taken the next step in his development after a solid rookie campaign. Even with the since-demoted Luis Gil’s struggles, the rotation is far and away the best in baseball, with the most innings per start (5.8), lowest ERA (2.70) and FIP (3.21), and most fWAR (4.6) of any starting staff in the land.
This is the 3rd time in franchise history the Yankees have 11+ wins and 40 or fewer runs allowed in their first 16 Road games of a season.
Fried and Schlittler aren’t the only ones on the team performing among the best in their discipline. Aaron Judge and Ben Rice place third and seventh, respectively, in position player fWAR, meaning the Yankees have the two best pitchers and two of the seven best hitters in all of baseball, which is certainly a good starting point for any roster. Judge and Rice became the first pair of Yankees teammates in franchise history with at least 10 home runs and at least 20 walks before the end of April, the pair placing second and third in wRC+ among qualified hitters in the league.
It’s a good thing that pair is more than pulling their weight when you consider the output of the rest of the offense. The Yankees do not have another lineup regular with a wRC+ above Cody Bellinger’s 108 mark. Amed Rosario has been a remarkable catalyst when he bats against lefties, but his defensive limitations prevent him from being an everyday starter. As we alluded to earlier, the bottom of the order was a black hole through the first three weeks, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Austin Wells, Ryan McMahon, and José Caballero combining to give the Yankees an automatic out in almost half their lineup. Fortunately that has turned around some in the final half of April. Every member of that quartet has posted a wRC+ of at least 119 since the start of the Royals series, and it is no surprise that this coincided with the Yankees’ best stretch of results.
That leaves the bullpen as the unit that struggled the most for the entire month. The group sits middle of the pack league-wide in ERA (3.86), FIP (3.97), and fWAR (0.7), though it’s easy to envision a scenario where those metrics are worse had the starting rotation not accounted for so many innings pitched. They optioned (and recalled) Jake Bird to the minors for the second time in his short Yankees tenure, you can reliably pencil Camilo Doval in to give up a home run in every outing, Fernando Cruz is walking almost a batter per inning, there’s a fear of pitching the suddenly-important Brent Headrick into the ground with 17 appearances in 31 games, and even David Bednar is a human vasopressor when he closes games.
Just when it looked like the Yankees would go injury-free in April, the bug started to bite in the final week. Giancarlo Stanton landed on the IL with a calf strain and his replacement, Jasson Domínguez, had to exit the series finale against the Rangers; he is undergoing imaging after getting hit on the elbow by a fastball. Conversely, they do have reinforcements on the horizon. Carlos Rodón is about a week and change away (two rehab starts) from rejoining the team after undergoing offseason surgery to remove bone chips in his elbow. Gerrit Cole is probably a month behind his rotation mate as he completes a lengthy rehab from Tommy John surgery. Anthony Volpe could join up with the big-league squad during the upcoming homestand after his offseason surgery to repair a partially torn labrum in his left shoulder. The players they will eventually displace from the active roster is a question they will have to answer shortly, but it’s a good problem to have when you’ve got veterans reinforcing a team that’s already performing well.
That brings us to today’s task. Do you approve of the job Brian Cashman has done through the end of April? On one hand, the Yankees sit atop the division with the best record in the AL posting the second-most runs per game and the lowest staff ERA in the AL. On the other hand, the areas that everyone identified as weak spots over the offseason — third base and the bullpen — continue to drag the team down. The polarizing GM certainly elicits stronger feelings than can be captured in a one-word response — you may feel a question such as the one being posed requires more nuance, greater elaboration, or a wider selection of options than just a “yes” or a “no,” however for the sake of this exercise, a binary question works best.
Note: This is the same poll that is currently appearing on the Feed, so if you’ve voted there, that should already be counted.
With today being an off day for the Cubs, I thought it would be a good time to let you know that my fourth book about the Cubs will be coming out soon.
“The Incredible Chicago Cubs Trivia Book” is 300 trivia questions centered around our favorite team. I’ve separated this book into chapters about batters, pitchers, managers, Wrigley Field, broadcasters and much more. There are questions of every difficulty level in every chapter.
Here are some sample questions, from that Amazon link. I’ve left the answers out, see if you can answer these before you click on the link.
Who played the most games in Cubs history?
Which pitchers threw two no-hitters as members of the Cubs?
Can you name the manager that has the most wins in franchise history with a losing record?
Which player has the most postseason hits and strikeouts in Cubs history?
There are nuggets of Cubs history throughout the book. Some are things you surely know. Others, maybe not — otherwise, why would they be trivia?
The official release date of “The Incredible Chicago Cubs Trivia Book” is June 9, but you can pre-order now at that link.
This is in the acknowledgments to the book, but I wanted to say right here that I could not have completed this book without the help of BCB’s own JohnW53, whose knowledge of Cubs history is unparalelled. Thanks, John, for everything. My friend Mike Bojanowski, whose work you have occasionally seen here, was also a great help to me.
Hope you’ll pick up a copy. Enjoy! (And if you can make it to Wrigley, bring it and I’ll sign your copy.)
Alex Cora was fired and shipped out unceremoniously in the dark of a Baltimore night. He told reporters he was happy. He was heading back to his home in Puerto Rico, ready to spend a summer with his family.
But he also sat down and wrote a love letter to the people and the ballpark of the same organization that had just given him the boot.
Days after being dismissed, Cora sent a mass email to the Red Sox organization thanking the staff, honoring the city and fans and closing with a reminder to everyone to cherish Fenway Park.
“One last thing, keep showing up every day and don’t take the Fenway experience for granted, you working place is the best place in the world," Cora wrote in the letter, obtained by MassLive.com.
Cora, who played in Boston before managing there, drew a stark contrast to the men who sent him packing.
When chief baseball officer Craig Breslow gathered the players the morning after, the meeting lasted seven minutes. He spoke for about two of them, according to reports. No questions were allowed. Owner John Henry stood against a wall and said nothing to the group.
There was no explanation or understanding that the players felt. Reliever Garrett Whitlock told reporters they made it clear their players were paid to just play baseball.
Even at his press conference the day after the firing, Breslow offered nothing of substance.
“It comes down to the belief that we have in the players and the belief that we have in the group to accomplish what we set out to accomplish,” Breslow said.
There was little feel to the way Breslow, who spent over a decade playing in the big leagues, handed the situation.
Trevor Story called Breslow’s explanation unsatisfactory. He said the direction of the franchise was “up in the air.”
That may be the underlying reason for Cora’s “I’m happy” reaction. The Breslow-constructed roster is a mess with too many outfielders and lack of veteran players; the pitching staff is unsettled with Garret Crochet and his 6.30 ERA now on the injured list with left shoulder inflammation.
Cora turned down a chance to jump right back in as the manager of the Philadelphia Phillies. He said he needed time to spend with his family and adjust to life after the Red Sox.
“Being part of this organization has meant a great deal to me,” Cora wrote. “As a player and as a manager. Like I always tell free agents, I’m glad my kids grew up here. It’s unique, special and magical place.”
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - APRIL 15: Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies and Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors smile during the game during the 2025 SoFi Play-In Tournament on April 15, 2025 at Chase Center 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 Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
When the NBA playoffs began earlier this month, 19-year-old Zinzy was disappointed that the Memphis Grizzlies, his favorite team, weren’t in the mix.
The Grizzlies were fresh off a 25-game, rebuilding season and were on the outside looking in for the first time in years.
So, he had a goofy idea — what if he jokingly live-tweeted a fake playoff series, as a gimmick?
At first, he was planning on doing so with a good friend who was a Phoenix Suns fan, who was worried that his team might miss the playoffs, too.
“We were talking, and I was like, ‘Wouldn’t it be so funny if you got knocked out, if you didn’t qualify for the playoffs, and we just did this fake playoff series in our heads?’” Zinzy told SB Nation. “And he was like, ‘Yeah, that would be cool.’ And then, they made the playoffs eventually, and I was just like, that kind of sucks.”
But, after thinking about it a little bit more, he decided to do it anyway. In part, because it’d be funny. And, in part, because it was something to bring together a community that had long meant so much to him.
The rest was history — since his first Warriors-Grizzlies Tweets on April 18th, tens of thousands of NBA fans have posted Tweets and shared Instagram posts reacting to an NBA playoff series that isn’t actually taking place.
How the heck did we get here?
The story actually begins six years ago, in Nigeria
In 2020, Zinzy was a 13-year-old living in Nigeria who had never even taking a liking to basketball.
“I was very ignorant of the sport, right?” he recalled. “I was like, basketball is boring.”
Then, one night, a friend of his dragged him to watch a Grizzlies game on television at 2 am. Almost immediately, he found himself enthralled, drawn to the Grizzlies’ bright-blue uniforms and captivated by rising superstar Ja Morant.
After doing his homework, he learned that the franchise had never won an NBA title and had not had a ton of success relative to other teams. And, in a funny way, that made him want to become a Grizzlies fan even more.
“I did some research on all the teams. And I was like, ‘The Grizzlies don’t have any championships.’ And I love that. It sounds dumb saying it aloud. But, if I could go support a team, and I feel like I’m part of the bigger part of their history when they’re winning, then that would definitely feel good.”
Since 2020, there have been plenty of highs and plenty of lows. The Grizzlies made the playoffs four times in five years. They saw Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr, and Desmond Bane all become stars. Since that first watch, Zinzy estimates he’s watched more than 70% of Grizzlies games.
But the 2025-2026 season was a tough one. They traded away Bane in the offseason and Jackson Jr. ahead of the midseason trade deadline. Now, it appears like it could be the end of the road for Morant, too, with trade rumors circling the point guard all season.
So, on the heels of such a difficult season and the fanbase in flux, Zinzy viewed the gimmick as something silly that could bring the fanbase together.
The 2026 Warriors-Grizzlies playoff series began in a dorm room
One night, while studying for his final exams at the University of Manitoba in Canada, where he studies environmental design, he randomly began to live-tweet a fake series between the Grizzlies and the Warriors.
“I just got this idea, like – I can still do this on my own,” Zinzy said. “I can do it on Twitter, right? So I just, I tweeted fake stats of Ja and Steph in a Game 1 battle. Then right after that, a couple of days later, I decided to fake live-tweet Game 2 out of nowhere.”
He didn’t think much of it at first.
But, slowly but surely, other major fan accounts on NBA Twitter decided to get in on the bit. It helped that several Warriors fan accounts with big-time followings, like @WarriorsMuse and @BasketballPerformances, also jumped in and partook in the fictional series joke.
— Basketball Performances (@NBAPerformances) April 24, 2026
The whole thing really blew up on Monday night, when Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. were actually sitting courtside at an Orlando Magic playoff game to support their old Grizzlies teammate, Desmond Bane.
The broadcast kept panning over to Morant and Jackson Jr. each time they celebrated a Bane triple, and eventually, fans flocked to social media to post photos of Morant and Jackson Jr, jokingly writing captions along the lines of: “What are they doing?? They have a game tomorrow!”
Jaren Jackson Jr on instagram🚨
‘12: “lets go to Orlando…..I gotta clear my head, 7 turnovers is crazy”🤣’
Ja and Jaren were spotted courtside supporting former teammate Desmond Bane tonight
“I just seen my timeline talking about, ‘Don’t they have a game?’” Zinzy said. “And I was like, ‘This is crazy. Like, why do so many people get the reference?’
Since that night, even official accounts like Overtime have gotten in on the joke. Zinzy has aligned the schedule of his fake Warriors-Grizzlies series with the ongoing Houston Rockets series against the Los Angeles Lakers series. He’s also gained more than 4,000 followers since the gimmick began almost two weeks ago.
WARRIORS WIN GAME 5 AND TAKE 3-2 SERIES LEAD OVER THE GRIZZLIES 🚨
Above all, the joke has brought joy and levity after what was a difficult season for diehard Memphis fans.
“I watched every game that I could,” he said. “And it’s crazy, because some of them, we were tanking… And I’ve tried, believe me, I’ve tried to detach myself from this team. I mean, the team is so bad. I say it all the time I could be doing plenty of other things with my time — and then I would still come home, put up my TV, sit down for two, two and a half hours, and watch us lose by thirty.”
He’s enjoying seeing that the joke he began in his dorm room just a few weeks ago has brought laughter to so many Grizzlies fans. The fanbase has provided him with an immense sense of community as he moved from Nigeria to Canada for college a few years ago. He used to livestream games with several other Grizzlies fan accounts, and today, he’s in several different group chats with thousands of other fans.
“We don’t just interact on the timeline,” Zinzy said. “We actually join groups, join DMs, we talk about other things outside of sports, talk about life. It’s just a really nice community. They don’t judge.
He’s never actually made it to Memphis, but that’s a dream he hopes to see realized sooner rather than later.
“The fanbase has been one of the best groups of people I’ve ever met – in real life, Twitter, TikTok, it’s great people everywhere.”
But until then?
Zinzy is preparing for a crucial Game 6 between the Grizzlies and Warriors, which tips off on Friday.
Apr 25, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Athletics starting pitcher Jeffrey Springs (59) throws during the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
This afternoon, the Athletics will take on the Kansas City Royals in the rubber match of their three-game series. After letting the series-opener slip through their fingers in an extra-inning defeat, the A’s rebounded last night, defeating the Royals 5-2 to force this series-deciding finale. Luis Severino shone on the mound, pitching seven innings of one-run ball and right fielder Lawrence Butler’s three-run home run to the right field berm was the key offensive blow.
With a winning April already secured, a victory today would give the team a third-straight series win and a strong finish to its first full month of the season.
Left-hander Jeffrey Springs gets the start for the A’s today. The 33-year-old enters his seventh start with a 3.2 record and a 3.79 ERA. In his last start at the Texas Rangers, Springs pitched well until his sixth and final inning, when he gave up Rangers’ third baseman Josh Jung’s go-ahead, game-winning home run. In his previous start, at home against the Chicago White Sox, Springs gave up seven runs in five innings. Having suffered back-to-back losses, the veteran lefty aims to right the ship today and return to the form he displayed in his first few outings of 2026.
Springs will be opposed by Royals’ left-hander Noah Cameron. The 26-year-old impressed in his rookie season last year, going 9-7 with a 2.99 ERA in 24 starts. Cameron is 2-1 with a 5.13 ERA through his first five starts of his sophomore campaign. He is coming off a strong outing against the Los Angeles Angels, in which he allowed three runs over 6 1/3 innings. The A’s faced Cameron twice last season, faring better against him at home than in Kansas City.
Designated hitter Brent Rooker, who has not recorded a hit since coming off the injured list, is out of today’s lineup as is left fielder Tyler Soderstrom, who is still recovering from whiplash sustained when attempting to make a diving catch in Friday’s contest. The team’s hottest-hitter, left fielder Carlos Cortes remains in the lineup, even with a left-hander pitching for the Royals. Both catchers are starting, with Shea Langeliers serving as the designated hitter to give his legs a rest following two-straight days behind the plate. Last but not least, hopefully yesterday’s home run will get Butler going offensively as the team needs more production out of the inconsistent outfielder.
Springs will face this batting order for the Royals today:
The Royals are trotting out several regulars, including the duo atop the lineup in Maikel Garcia and Bobby Witt Jr. However lefty sluggers Jac Caglianone andVinnie Pasquantino are on the bench, with Pasquantino sidelined due to back tightness suffered Tuesday night.
It is time to win another series. Let’s go Athletics!
NEW YORK — The depleted New York Mets took another hit when center fielder Luis Robert Jr. was placed on the 10-day injured list with lumbar spine disc herniation.
Robert, 28, hasn’t played since the first game of a doubleheader against the Colorado Rockies due to what the team said was lower back tightness. An MRI administered revealed the injury. The IL move was retroactive to April 27.
Manager Carlos Mendoza said Robert had an epidural and was instructed to rest for seven to 10 days. He said team doctors were hopeful Robert could return shortly thereafter.
“It’s just frustrating from both ends — for Luis, for us,” Mendoza said before the series finale against the Washington Nationals. “But we’ve got to get him back right.”
The IL stint is the 10th since 2021 for Robert, who previously has been sidelined by right hip, right knee, left wrist and left hamstring issues as well as blurred vision. He has played more than 110 games just once — in 2023, when he finished 12th in the AL MVP voting after hitting 38 homers for the Chicago White Sox.
The Mets acquired Robert from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for Luisangel Acuña in January in hopes the former Gold Glove Award winner could help improve their up-the-middle defense. He was limited to back field duty for most of spring training in an attempt to keep him healthy for the regular season.
Robert had a homer and five RBIs in the first two games of the season but has just five hits in his last 38 at-bats dating back to April 13 to drop his season average to .224.
“He’s super frustrated — yesterday and this morning, when he got the news — because he’s done everything we’re asking him to do,” Mendoza said.
Robert is the second Mets player to hit the injured list with a lumbar spine ailment and the third opening day position player on the shelf. Starting pitcher Kodai Senga (lumbar spine inflammation) went on the 15-day injured list.
Shortstop Francisco Lindor (left calf) and first baseman/designated hitter Jorge Polanco (left Achilles, right wrist) are also on the injured list for the Mets, who currently have baseball’s worst record at 10-20.
To replace Robert, the Mets recalled infielder Eric Wagaman from Triple-A Syracuse. The club also recalled pitcher Austin Warren from Syracuse and designated veteran pitcher Carl Edwards Jr. for assignment. Edwards allowed one run in six innings of relief over two appearances.
Duke basketball has a trio of nonconference games against top-tier programs next season. Each of the games will only be available on an exclusive platform.
The Blue Devils announced a multi-year partnership with Amazon Prime on Thursday, April 30, giving the platform exclusive access to multiple Duke basketball games each season. Duke's games agains Michigan, UConn and Gonzaga will air exclusively on the streaming platform in 2026-27.
"It's exciting to bring this relationship with Duke University to life, and we're looking forward to presenting this premium college basketball showcase to fans around the world next season and beyond," Amazon Prime Head of Sports Partnerships Charlie Neiman said in Duke's announcement. "Duke basketball games transcend the schedule, and the creation of this all-new offering gives fans more of what we all want, marquee matchups featuring the most successful programs in the nation."
Duke faces UConn, who it faced in the Elite Eight last season, on Wednesday, Nov. 25 in Las Vegas. It then takes on Michigan on Monday, Dec. 21, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, and Gonzaga on Saturday, Feb. 20, at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
"In addition to our outstanding partnership with ESPN, we are excited to work with Prime Video on this groundbreaking initiative," Duke athletic director Nina King said in the announcement. "As Prime Video's first college sports partner, this collaboration not only expands the global reach of Duke Men's Basketball, but also creates meaningful opportunities for our student-athletes in a way that reflects innovation and excellence."
Duke will also participate in multiple ESPN-owned, neutral-site events in 2027-28 and 2028-29 in exchange of its partnership with Amazon Prime, according to the news release. ESPN is the primary TV partner of the ACC.
ESPN reported the deal will also generate name, image and likeness opportunities for Duke players, who will be able to promote the games on the platform. The deal also shows a new aggressiveness with streaming platforms in gaining exclusive college sports access.
The Buffalo Sabres may have lost Game 5 against the Boston Bruins in overtime, but they are still in a good spot. This is because the Sabres have a 3-2 series over the Bruins and need only one more win to advance to the second round.
The Sabres have had many players step up for them early on this post-season, and Peyton Krebs has been one of them.
Krebs has been off to a hot start this postseason, and the truth is in his stats. In five games so far, he has recorded two goals, three assists, five points, and a plus-6 rating. This included him having a goal and an assist in the Sabres' 6-1 win over the Bruins in Game 4.
Krebs having a strong start to the postseason comes after he had the best regular season of his career so far in 2025-26. In 82 games this campaign with Buffalo, he set new career highs with 12 goals, 27 assists, and 39 points.
Krebs will now be looking to stay hot for the Sabres as the postseason rolls on. If he continues to provide them with excellent secondary offensive production, it would help the Sabres' chances of knocking out the Bruins.
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 29: Alperen Sengun #28 of the Houston Rockets looks to pass the ball while defended by Rui Hachimura #28 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the game during Round One Game Five on April 29, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
LOS ANGELES — Not only have brooms been shoved back into closets, but another flight to Houston has also been booked.
After being listed as a game-time decision for three straight matchups, Austin Reaves returned for the Lakers in Game 5 on Wednesday while superstar Kevin Durant remained out, putting Alperen Şengün at the top of LA’s scouting report.
Şengün dissected the Lakers’ defensive game plan, burning their consistent doubles by finding cutters or shooters with a patient offensive approach, leading Houston to a Game 5 win and shifting the entire feel of this series.
Houston’s All-Star came off two strong performances at home, where he put up 33 points in the overtime loss in Game 3, shooting an efficient 15-27 from the field and followed it up with 19 in their blowout rout of the Lakers in Game 4, drawing 13 free throws in the contest.
Instead of allowing any single coverage in the post, LA decided to send extra help on Wednesday and dared not only Şengün to make the right read, but Houston’s shooters to knock down their open shots.
The Rockets did both. It started early in the second quarter. Watch below as Jarred Vanderbilt completely leaves his man, Dorian Finney-Smith, in the corner to double up Şengün. A quick spin and a read from Şengün gets a wide open look that falls.
On the first possession of the third quarter, the Rockets posted Şengün up on the wing. LA zones up and flashes two defenders on him in the post. Houston patiently waits for the opening and finds Tari Eason cutting behind for the finish in the clip below.
In the few instances he got single coverage, the big man used his array of spin moves and soft touch to get shots like this one to go down.
Şengün finished with 14 points on 5-9 shooting and a series high of eight assists. LA did force him into five turnovers, but the big man finished a game-high plus-8 on the floor in just over 43 minutes.
“He made good reads,” Marcus Smart said postgame. “We forced him to make some reads and he made the right reads. We knew he would. He’s an All-Star caliber player and really good at what he does but we got to go to the drawing board and see what else we can do and throw different looks at him.”
LA doesn’t have very much time to reexamine the drawing board, as just one day of rest sits between both Game 6 and a potential Game 7. After a slow start to the series, Şengün is up to 22 points and five assists on 54% shooting from the field in the last three contests. Houston has a case to be up 3-2 if not for the late collapse in Game 3.
One option is to increase Deandre Ayton’s minutes, who finished a plus-2, and the only guy head coach J.J. Redick allows for single coverage on Şengün. Another is leaning into small ball and removing backup center Jaxson Hayes from the rotation just as Rockets head coach Ime Udoka has done with big man Clint Capela.
They need to decide quickly, because they could be facing a catastrophic Game 7 before they know it.
While Durant doesn’t seem likely to return in this series, a hungry and feisty Rockets team is growing in confidence and getting comfortable playing without their offensive star. They’ve reoriented around Şengün, and the Lakers will need answers or else their season could end much earlier than expected.
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Celtics Game 6 computer picks
Sam Hauser Over 6.5 points (-125)
Projection: 8.35 points
Sam Hauser went Over this total in just two of the five playoff games so far, but in the other three, he finished with exactly six each time. It's also a much lower bar to clear than the 8.5-point total he faced in Games 3 and 4.
span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet hauser Now at bet365!/span
Jaylen Brown Over 6.5 rebounds (+102)
Projection: 7.8 rebounds
Jaylen Brown finished with seven rebounds in three straight games before logging just five in Game 5. Tonight's projection calls for 7.8 rebounds and the plus-money price makes it an easy button to push.
span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet BROWN Now at bet365!/span
Jayson Tatum Under 25.5 points (-115)
Projection: 23.58 points
Jayson Tatum has only scored 26+ points once in this series and also failed to reach that number in five straight games to close the regular season. Projections call for 23.58 tonight, which gives the Under lots of wiggle room at 25.5.
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76ers Game 6 computer picks
Kelly Oubre Jr. Over 8.5 points (-115)
Projection: 12.03 points
Kelly Oubre Jr. struggled in Games 4 and 5 but scored 10+ points in seven straight games before that and averaged 13 ppg across the first three games of this series. This line is too low on that fact alone.
span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet OUBRE JR. Now at bet365!/span
Joel Embiid Under 28.5 points (-125)
Projection: 23.86 points
This is one of the biggest gaps between projection and total on tonight's board. Joel Embiid is 1-1 against this total in his two games back, and considering how prone he is to leaving the game with injury, the paths to the Under are much clearer than the Over.
span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet EMBIID Now at bet365!/span
VJ Edgecombe Over 11.5 points (-112)
Projection: 14.32 points
VJ Edgecombe's scoring has dipped since Embiid's return, but this total has made just as much of a dive after being as high as 15.5 in Game 3. The projections expect him to be much better at home tonight.
span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet EDGECOMBE Now at bet365!/span
How to watch Celtics vs 76ers Game 6
Location
Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA
Date
Thursday, April 30, 2026
Tip-off
8:00 p.m. ET
TV
NBCSN/Peacock
Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
The Mets are making another depth addition, claiming versatile infielder Andy Ibáñez off waivers from the Athletics, SNY MLB Insider Chelsea Janes has confirmed.
Ibáñez signed with the Dodgers on a one-year deal this offseason, but he was DFA'd just days later and was picked up off waivers by the A's.
He hit .308 with six extra base-hits during spring training, but wasn't able to carry that production over to the regular season, being set free again after just 11 games.
Ibáñez now comes to the Big Apple, where he'll look to help the Mets as they deal with a plethora of injuries.
The 33-year-old has experience at first base, second base, third base, and both corner outfield spots over his big league career.
He's a career .275 hitter with 17 homers, 32 doubles, and a .763 OPS against left-handed pitching.
FORT MYERS, FLORIDA - MARCH 16: Yoelin Cespedes #23 of the Boston Red Sox takes batting practice ahead of the Spring Breakout game against the Atlanta Braves at JetBlue Park at Fenway South on March 16, 2024 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Portland and Somerset (NYY) played a pair of seven-inning affairs on Wednesday, with the second game being a makeup of a rainout on April 5th. Let’s talk about the first game in as few words as possible.
Somerset had 15 hits in six innings, scoring multiple runs in four of them. They teed off on starter Cade Feeney and reliever Max Carlson for seven extra base hits, while stealing five bases. Right fielder Will Turner homered for the only Sea Dogs run. On to game two…
Rehabbing Yankee starter Gerrit Cole got the ball for Somerset in Game Two. Some people in social media circles are saying that Cole looked a little bit hefty in his postgame interview. Not me, I would never say something like that. Cole allowed home runs to Johanfran Garcia and Max Ferguson. We’re certainly posting video of both of these.
Cy Young Award winners don't scare Johanfran Garcia
Cole went 5 ⅔ innings, allowing three runs, and striking out three. With the game tied 3-3 entering the seventh inning, the Sea Dogs scored three runs, all on RBI doubles by Max Ferguson, Will Turner, and Tyler McDonough. The Patriots cut the lead to one on a Jace Avina two-run homer but Reidis Sena eventually locked down the save in a 6-5 win.
Blake Wehunt went the first three innings, allowing one run and striking out four.
On Thursday, Portland’s starter at 6:35 ET is TBD.
Greenville Drive 8, Hub City Spartanburgers 7 (BOX)
The Drive blew a late lead before winning in dramatic fashion in extra innings on Wednesday against Hub City (TEX).
Entering the ninth inning up 5-3, reliever Danny Kirwin allowed a two-run homer to Luke Hanson, tying the game. Malcolm Moore did the same off of Matt McShane in the top of the tenth, putting the Spartanburgers up 7-5.
And that’s when Yoeilin Cespedes happened, again. Cespedes had already homered in the third inning and, in the bottom of the tenth, hit a two-run dinger with a man on to tie the game. The Drive walked it off on a potential double-play ball, which Freili Encarnacion beat out at first to win 8-7.
Yoeilin Cespedes can’t be stopped!
The Boston Red Sox prospect ties the game in the bottom of the 10th inning with a two-run homer. He has four hits and two home runs tonight.
On the day, Cespedes was 4-for-5, with three RBI, to go along with the two home runs. Encarnacion had homered in the second inning, and Justin Gonzales added three hits as part of a 13-hit effort for the Drive. Alex Bouchard had a standout relief appearance, allowing just one run over 5 ⅓ innings.
On Thursday, Kyson Witherspoon (0-1, 6.00) will take the hill for Greenville at 6:45.
Starting pitching Dylan Brown continued his excellent start to the season, throwing 5 ⅔ innings without allowing an earned run, and striking out seven against the Warbirds (MIL). In a 1-1 game in the eighth, the bullpen for the RidgeYaks got roughed up a bit, leading to a 5-1 L.
Third baseman Ty Hodge’s long ball accounted for the lone run for Salem.
Madison Frias (0-1, 11.08) will toe the rubber on Thursday at 7:05.
Worcester Red Sox vs. Rochester Red Wings – Ppd.
The Worcester and Rochester game was postponed on Wednesday, with a doubleheader coming up on Thursday, which already got underway at 11:05 ET. Worcester’s is starting Alec Gamboa in game one, and although game two is currently unlisted for the Woo Sox, Rochester will be throwing Riley “The Great” Cornelio.
SEATTLE, WA - APRIL 21: Carlos Cortes #26 of the Athletics bats during the game between the Athletics and the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on Tuesday, April 21, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Eric Hiller/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The A’s and Royals have split the first two games of this mid-week three-game set. Now we have a rubber match this afternoon that’ll determine who takes the series, and who heads into Friday on a losing note. And with a slim one-game lead in the division over the Mariners, the A’s could really use a win today.
Taking the ball for the series finale will be Jeffrey Springs. The lefty has been the A’s unquestioned best pitcher in the early going here in 2026 but is coming off a pair of tough outings that have seen him allow 11 runs in as many innings. Both he and the team will be hoping he can bounce back and look like the guy who had a 1.46 ERA before these two tough outings. In his career (6 appearances, two starts) the left-hander has a solid 3.07 ERA against this AL Central for.
Here’s how the A’s lineup looks against the Royals for the finale:
The team is predictably still without regular left fielder Tyler Soderstrom as he continues to recover from whiplash. And of course taking his spot in the field is last week’s Player of the Week Carlos Cortes, hitting in the fifth spot. He’s getting mighty comfy in his everyday role and deservedly so.
We got Jacob Wilson and Shea Langeliers atop the batting order followed by the big bopper in Nick Kurtz. Langeliers is in the DH spot today while Brent Rooker gets the day off. That means Colby Thomas draws the start in right field and Austin Wynns will be catching Springs this afternoon.
For the Royals, they’ll be relying on their own left-hander in Noah Cameron. The young starter burst onto the scene last year with a 2.99 ERA in his first 24 career starts, though his sophomore season has been a bit bumpier. He pitched twice against the A’s last year, going four innings and two-thirds innings and allowing three runs in his major league debut, then shutting down the A’s over five full frames his second time out.
Gotta keep Witt from doing any damage this afternoon. If they can avoid giving up the big hit to Kansas City’s star player the A’s have an excellent chance today.
Let’s finish this series strong before we welcome Cleveland this weekend. Let’s go A’s!
Celtics
76ers
