The Buffalo Sabres now have a commanding 3-1 series lead over the Boston Bruins in their first-round series. With this, the Sabres only need one more win to advance to the second round.
The Sabres have won each of their last two games to get into this position, and a massive reason behind it has been the play of goaltender Alex Lyon.
Since taking over the Sabres' crease from Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen this series, Lyon has been nothing short of fantastic. In three appearances this playoffs, he has a 2-0 record, a 0.89 goals-against average, and a .964 save percentage.
In Game 3 against the Bruins, Lyon stopped an impressive 24 out of 25 shots. Then, in Game 4, Lyon stopped 23 out of 24 shots. With this, there is no question that Lyon has been helping carry the Sabres and should continue to have the net for the time being because of it.
Lyon's strong start to the postseason comes after he had a 20-10-4 record, a 2.77 goals-against average, a .907 save percentage, and three shutouts. With this, the Sabres' decision to sign Lyon to a two-year, $3 million contract during this past offseason has been simply outstanding.
The Dallas Mavericks capped off a rough season with a silver lining, as rookie phenom Cooper Flagg was named 2025-2026 NBA Rookie of the Year Monday night. In what was a polarizing race between he and Charlotte Hornets’ Kon Knueppel, we saw one of the most historic rookie campaigns from the former, pitted against one of the most efficient rookie shooting seasons from the latter.
A straw poll just days before the season ended had Knueppel winning the award, completely befuddling Mavs’ fans who thought their guy was the obvious winner. Whether or not a poor showing across two PlayIn Tournament games for Knueppel swayed some voters (it technically shouldn’t have factored into their decision, but unseeing something isn’t exactly realistic) is anyone’s guess. When all was said and done, Flagg grabbed 56 first place votes to Knueppel’s 44, it what was the second smallest margin of victory since the 2002-2003 season when the current voting format took effect.
Mavs’ fans got a little something to feel good about, and a very tight, intriguing race feels like it ended positively for all involved. Knueppel made a real name for himself and received a ton of recognition in the highly contested race, while Flagg’s truly remarkable (and in some cases, one of a kind) accomplishments earned him the highly coveted award.
Then, seemingly before the corks from the champagne bottles found their landing spot, we were given a take that was even more unpredictable than the Rookie of the Year race itself. Speaking on NBA Showtime Monday night, studio analyst and former NBA player Carmelo Anthony gave a surprisingly unexpected shoutout… to former Mavericks’ GM Nico Harrison.
Carmelo Anthony shouts out Nico Harrison for Cooper Flagg winning ROY 💀
"Shout out to Nico Harrison for seeing this right here. For understanding his vision. Whatever happened or how it happened, Dallas got something back. They got the #1 pick and a rookie who led the squad in… pic.twitter.com/Bg9qyrANsv
“Shout out to Nico Harrison for seeing this right here; for understanding this vision,” said Anthony, in what is likely one of the most far-fetched interpretations of a scenario you’re likely to see in a long time.
When I first heard the comments, my immediate instinct to cover the topic was quickly tamped down by the thought that bringing it any attention at all would only exacerbate the problem. Still, it is Mavericks-related news that is what we are here for. While everyone is entitled to their own opinion and I have no interest in squabbling about such things with a member of the media, allow me to offer a counter point: this is insane.
Anthony is basically suggesting that Nico Harrison’s trade of Luka Doncic was all part of an overarching vision to draft Cooper Flagg. That Harrison’s ability to see Flagg’s talent and choose him with the number one overall pick was a shoutout worthy effort. Break it down for a moment. Harrison traded Doncic for Anthony Davis in what was a win-now move that he expected to net Dallas at least one championship in the ensuing years. At no point, in any way, shape or form, was Harrison’s plan to tear the team down – a team coming off an NBA Finals appearance – so he could later draft Cooper Flagg and rebuild it. This is not subjective interpretation, but rather, it’s fact. Harrison so much as told us.
Further, Harrison could not have possibly predicted the incredibly bad injury luck the Mavs would encounter (although his personnel changes could have given him a hint of things to come), or that the Mavs’ 1.8% chance would actually put them in position to move up to the top spot in the draft. Once all of that did happen, it certainly was not a shoutout-worthy event to draft Flagg, the by-far consensus number one pick that year.
Anthony’s comments echo Harrison’s own absurd declaration after the Draft Lottery that got Dallas the top pick – something along the lines of “fortune favors the bold.” While that may be true, getting the number one pick was not the result of bold moves with intent. It was the result of extremely fortuitous lottery results on the heels of an epically disastrous post-trade outcome.
To be fair to Anthony, his fellow analysts chuckled (as did he), and none of them reacted with the stunned shock the commentary actually warranted. To that end, it would not surprise me if everyone was aware of what Anthony would deliver, and maybe he did it with tongue in cheek. Anthony and Vince Carter (who was sitting beside him) have a friendly relationship with Nico Harrison and have previously vocalized support for their friend during the unrelenting backlash he received in the post-trade era.
While showing support for your friend, especially in the off-chance it was deliberately facetious to a degree, is a noble gesture, re-writing actual reality into a ludicrous Bizarro World version of reality is plainly irresponsible. Not because Nico Harrison deserves to be treated like Hester Prynne for all time – he doesn’t; better to just move on – but because we should carry a responsibility to truth and this was not that, however much jest may have been baked in (if any). This all could have been time better spent commending the folks who truly did have the vision, and that is the award winner himself and his family who put in endless reps and tons of work to get to this point. That’s where the real story lies.
I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks
Apr 27, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Jack Leiter (22) throws to the plate during the first inning against the New York Yankees at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images
The Texas Rangers scored two runs but the New York Yankees scored four runs.
In the span of four hitters between the third and fourth innings, the Yankees hit three home runs off an otherwise cruising Jack Leiter, two of them with two outs in the third and one to lead off the fourth.
Suddenly and without warning it was a 4-0 game and it seemed quite unlikely that they’d score more than that against Max Fried (and they didn’t) so here we are with the Rangers below .500.
I don’t want to research how many runs the Rangers have allowed with two outs because I’m not donating more time to them tonight but it surely feels like it’s been like 90%.
Anyway, Leiter adjusted and eventually had an otherwise decent outing to give Texas six innings of work, but you know, turning the game into the Home Run Derby for a spell probably won’t get you many wins and certainly not when you need the Rangers to score you more than a couple of runs in Arlington.
Player of the Game: Joc Pederson hit a baseball with the barrel of his bat for the first time this season which produced a home run for Texas’ only extra base hit on the night.
Also, hat tip to Peyton Gray who came in and absorbed two more scoreless innings as his big league ERA remains all zeroes.
Up Next: The Rangers and Yankees will be back at it tomorrow night with RHP Jacob deGrom set to make the start for Texas opposite RHP Cam Schlittler for New York.
The Tuesday evening first pitch from The Shed is scheduled for 7:05 pm CDT and will be carried on the Rangers Sports Network.
The Yankees opened the series with a 4-2 win over the Rangers on Monday night at Globe Life Field.
Here are some takeaways...
- Jack Leiter started his night retiring five of the first six batters he faced, but the Yankees jumped all over him the second time through the order. After Trent Grisham legged out a two-out infield single, Ben Rice crushed his 10th homer of the season to the deepest part of the ballpark, then Aaron Judge immediately followed that with a solo shot.
- Rice's homer was his 10th of the season, and it put the Yankees' new dynamic duo up there with some pretty prestigious company, as they joined Yogi Berra and Mikey Mantle as the only pair of teammates in franchise history with 10+ homers over the first 29 games of the season.
They were also just the third pair of teammates in MLB history to reach that mark in April.
- New York would add on against Leiter just a few batters later, as Jazz Chisholm Jr. led off the top of the fourth with a towering solo homer of his own. The blast, which left the bat at a whopping 106.7 mph, traveled 406 feet deep into the seats in right and is Chisholm's third over his last seven games.
The lefty slugger has been scorching, hitting .370 with a 1.118 OPS over that span.
- Max Fried pitched well against a Rangers lineup that's struggled against lefties all season. He worked around hits in the first and second, before putting together his first clean inning after being handed the lead in the third. Fried gave up a leadoff hit in the fourth, but immediately erased him with his 38th career pickoff, the most in baseball since 2018.
The southpaw needed just six pitches to breeze his way through an seamless fifth. He gave up a leadoff single in the sixth, but Brandon Nimmo smoked a double-play ball right at Jose Caballero to help Fried end his night on a hight note. He gave up just four hits and walked two while striking out five over six scoreless innings.
Fried has now completed six innings in all but one of his seven outings on the season.
- Texas was able to get on the board against Camilo Doval in the bottom of the seventh, as Joc Pederson came off the bench and smashed a solo shot the other way to deep left-center. Doval's ERA is up to 6.97 and he's allowed homers in three of his last four outings.
- Tim Hill was a bit shaky, issuing a pair of walks in the eighth, but he was able to get Corey Seager to sharply groundout to second representing the tying run at the plate.
- David Bednar struggled in the ninth as well, as Texas brought in their second run of the game after a Chisholm error prolonged the inning. Ezequiel Duran came to the plate at the winning-run, but the Yankee closer got him to groundout and locked down his eighth save of the season.
- Judge reached safely in all four of his plate appearances on the night. He was hit by a pitch in the first, lifted the homer behind Rice in the third, then doubled his next two turns up. The captain is now hitting .294 with eight home runs, 12 RBI, and a 1.298 OPS over his last 15 games.
- Jasson Dominguez struck out then grounded out in his first two at-bats back in the big leagues, but he worked a full count before lacing a one out single the other way in the top of the sixth. With righties on the mound, the youngster is expected to start all three games this series.
- Ryan McMahon pushed his hitting streak to four games with a two out single against Leiter in the fourth.
Game MVP: Aaron Judge
The captain was right in the middle of things for New York, reaching four times in the victory.
Two of the American League's top arms to start the season face-off, as Cam Schlittler (3-1, 1.77 ERA) takes the ball against Jacob deGrom (2-0, 2.13 ERA) on Tuesday at 8:05 p.m.
Apr 27, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Mitch Garver (18) hits a RBI single against the Minnesota Twins in the fifth inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
The old saying in baseball is you win 50, lose 50, and it’s what you do with the rest that counts, but what the adage doesn’t take into account is the number of games that are Cursèd. For the Seattle Mariners, those Cursèd Games seem to usually happen in spring in the Midwest, or in Angel Stadium. Tonight’s game might have started on time, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t start Cursèd.
Luis Castillo did not do anything to beat the warm-weather-pitching allegations, surrendering seven runs, although not all of them were entirely his fault; the Twins got their first run on a wacky send of slow-footed Josh Bell from first after Rob Refsnyder couldn’t get a clean handle on the soggy ball, which had rolled itself under the padding in right field. A good relay from Cole Young almost had Bell out at the plate, but Mitch Garver couldn’t get the tag down cleanly, putting the Twins ahead 1-0.
The damage could have been much worse, as Castillo ran into trouble after that; he gave up back-to-back free passes to load the bases, once that wasn’t his fault (Matt Wallner leaning his pantleg into a slider) and once that was (walking the nine-hole hitter Tristan Gray), but got Byron Buxton to pop out to strand the bases loaded. But that aforementioned worse damage came in the third inning. Julio Rodríguez misplayed a ball hit deep to center, allowing a one-out triple to Trevor Larnach, and then Castillo walked Bell despite having him in a 1-2 count. Ryan Jeffers singled to bring home Larnach, and then Kody Clemens, my least favorite Twin and that includes both Winklevosses, turnt-and-burnt on an inside fastball for a three-run home run.
The beatings would continue but morale would not improve with a two-run homer from Byron Buxton in the fourth. Castillo managed to scrape through one more scoreless inning to at least give the bullpen a slightly smaller elephant to eat, but the hole was well and thoroughly dug.
Meanwhile, the offense struggled against Twins rookie Connor Prielipp and his dastardly slider; he took a no-hitter into the fifth inning, when his command finally flagged and the Mariners were able to small-ball a couple of runs off him with the bottom of the order once again producing. Shoutout to Mitch Garver, who quietly had a very good game on both sides of the ball, once again winning a clutch ABS challenge that turned into a strikeout and maybe bought Castillo an extra inning of work. The Twins bullpen, which is Not Good, took over from there, but the Mariners hitters were punchless against Andrew Morris in the sixth and seventh.
Cole Wilcox, still putting in his time in the former Eduard Bazardo role, drew the first assignment out of the ‘pen for multi-inning mop-up duty, and just in case you had forgotten this game was Cursèd, what should have been an inning-ending groundout instead bounced off the bag at second base for an RBI infield single instead, making it 8-2. As Angie pointed out on the broadcast, J.P.’s face was all of our faces after that.
Wilcox came back out for the seventh but issued a leadoff walk (bad Cole!) and a one-out infield single (not his fault on this rice paddy of an infield), and for some reason Dan Wilson decided that this was the moment to deploy Alex Hoppe for his big-league debut, and once again: you must hand it to Dan. In a rare feel-good moment for this game, Hoppe came out and demolished the first two big-league hitters he faced; Matt Wallner was so flummoxed by Hoppe’s vicious stuff he blew the Twins’ last challenge challenging Alex Hoppe’s first thrown MLB pitch, only to go on to strike out, which is the appropriate punishment for such tacky behavior. Hoppe then struck out Tristan Gray to end the inning.
The vibes threatened to turn positive after that, as the Mariners hitters finally got to Morris: Rob Refsnyder singled (yay Rob!) and Cal Raleigh checked in with his seventh homer of the season, a towering blast to right field:
But that’s all the fun this game had to offer. Hoppe wasn’t as sharp in his second inning of work despite becoming the first Mariners reliever in team history to open his Mariners career with three straight strikeouts and gave up a couple more runs; Hoppe’s command remains a work in progress, but hey, he’s not learning anything on the bench, so at least this game offered an opportunity for his debut. Unfortunately, this might be another case of bad sequencing for the Mariners, as the Twins send their ace Joe Ryan to the mound tomorrow, matching up against Logan Gilbert. Just keep the field dry and maybe pass a little black tourmaline over the mound pregame.
Apr 26, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets players react after game four of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard were handed fines of $35,000 and $25,000, respectively, for separate issues involving the officials. Smart’s fine came for “questioning the integrity of game officials,” while Kennard’s was “for directing inappropriate language toward officials.”
Kennard’s incident likely came at the end of the game. During the little altercation between the two teams, Kennard also yelled some expletives at the officials, which lip readers will be able to pick up.
dude luke is not what I expected him to be😳 he was so furious it made vando change habits and hold him back😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/Kerkdb0gFY
As for Smart’s, it’s a bit more unclear. The phrasing of his fine usually comes after a player criticizes officials to the media postgame. However, this was basically as critical he was of the officials when talking about Deandre Ayton’s questionable ejection.
“Then, obviously, the ejection, we all understood it was some BS,” Smart said. “That’s what we felt. He was just trying to brace himself. Two guys who are sweating their butts off playing the game, his arm slips up, right? But we’re proud of the way he handled and I think that just speaks volumes about who he is and just his progression.
“He’s learning and he could have just as easily – it probably would have been justifiable if he went off. But to keep his composure and stay positive, I think it’s only going to help him and his team.”
Relatively speaking, that’s a pretty tame criticism of officiating and doesn’t feel like one that warrants a fine. He, too, could have said something to the officials on the floor, but that’s typically going to result in phrasing that came with Kennard’s fine.
Nevertheless, this is now $95,000 in fines in the last four days tied to James Williams and his officiating crew. Devin Booker was also handed a $35,000 fine for calling out Williams by name in his postgame presser.
In that instance, the league also rescinded all the technical fouls handed out that game. This time, it doesn’t appear that move came with the fines. But it’s pretty clear this officiating crew shouldn’t officiate another postseason game.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - APRIL 27: Minnesota Twins infielder Kody Clemens (2) celebrates his three-run home run with Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers (27) during the third inning of a MLB game between the Minnesota Twins and Seattle Mariners on April 27, 2026, at Target Field in Minneapolis MN. (Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
It was a dark and stormy night when a dark plague descended upon downtown Minneapolis. A plague of losses, a plague of runs, never leading at any point in a game in nearly a week. But our hero Kody Clemens emerged from one blogger’s hate-filled game preview with a single goal: score.
Thanks, Kody. I’ll trade being wrong for a Twins win any day. Now back to your regularly scheduled posting.
For the first time in way too long, the Twins struck first. Josh Bell hit a lead off single and was stuck there for the next two batters. Then, struggling Luke Keaschall came to the plate and delivered a line drive to right field. It took a Neo-esque slide from Bell to avoid being tagged out at home, but after a replay review the Twins led 1-0.
The Twins added plenty more runs from there, thanks in large part to home runs from Byron Buxton and, of course, Kody Clemens. Clemens’ three-run dong gave him his first three of five total RBIs on the evening. Rain be damned, these boys were here to hit the ball.
Connor Prielipp, meanwhile, was dealing through the first four frames. He threw 4 scoreless, hitless frames with the only baserunner coming on a walk. He ran into trouble in the 5th after walking the first two batters of the inning. An RBI single from Twins legend Mitch Garver and Cole Young sac fly netted the M’s their first two runs, but Prielipp buckled down and struck out the final two batters he faced to get out of the jam with a healthy 7-2 lead.
It’s only two starts, but the Twins have to be very encouraged from the early returns of their top pitching prospect. He got himself into trouble with the walks, but only allowed a single hit and has plenty of stuff to pitch himself out of those jams. He’s still limited to 80-85 pitches after two elbow surgeries in the past four years, but he’s doing everything he can to ensure he stays up when Mick Abel returns in a few weeks.
Andrew Morris came in to piggyback off of Prielipp’s stellar start and did what he typically does. That is, pitch two excellent innings and then struggle in the third. A two-run blast allowed to Cal Raleigh brought Seattle within striking distance, closing the lead to 8-4.
Luckily, the Twins had a few more runs in them. After rookie Alex Hoppe struck out the first three batters of his career (between two separate innings), he walked the next two to put a couple of runners on base for the middle of the lineup. Josh Bell SMOKED a line drive to right field at 108 MPH, but it landed right in Rob Refsnyder’s glove. Luckily, Ryan Jeffers delivered his second RBI single of the night, stole a base, and then let the titular hero Kody Clemens deliver the kill shot.
Apr 27, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Luis Castillo (58) delivers a pitch against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
Twins 11, Mariners 4
Sasha Hoppe: Mitch Garver, .08 WPA
Challenging the first pitch of a player’s career/stealing up 5 runs in a blowout/walking up to the Rocky theme/other assorted acts of Midwest tackiness: Luis Castillo, -.29 WPA
Yet, just five years ago, the NBA announced 363 players had filed as early entry candidates – reportedly the highest number in league history. And the numbers have dipped every year since then.
There’s little mystery behind the trend. The Name Image and Likeness (NIL) era began in July 2021, allowing college athletes to cash in like never before. Clearly, it’s made staying in school more appealing for players not guaranteed to be picked high enough – or at all – during the two-round NBA draft that determines a rookie's salary. The year's draft will be held June 23-24.
Last year, Cooper Flagg, by virtue of getting picked No.1 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, was guaranteed a four-year deal worth more than $62 million, according to spotrac. Getting picked No. 30, the last pick of the first round, guaranteed a four-year deal worth $14 million, according to spotrac.
By contrast, not all second-round picks are guaranteed contracts.
Rasheer Fleming, the top second-round pick last year, was guaranteed about $6 million for a four-year, $8.7 million contact, according to spotrac.
Those who go undrafted, good luck.
The case of Florida Gators star Thomas Haugh
The Athletic helped spotlight the new dynamics when Thomas Haugh, a rising senior forward at Florida who was considered potential draft lottery pick, recently diclosed he will return for a fourth season with the Gators.
“Haugh is expected to be among the highest earners in college basketball next season, with sources familiar with the decision projecting that he’s in line to make around what he’d earn in his first two NBA seasons combined if he’d been drafted in the top 20 in this year’s draft,’’ The Athletic reported.
Meanwhile, the number of early entry candidates likely will shrink further before the NBA draft lottery, which is May 10 at 3 p.m. ET on ABC. That’s when the order of selection will be determined for the 14 teams who qualified for the lottery.
In its release, Monday, April 27 the NBA explains the process if a player wants to withdraw his name. Under NCAA rules, in order to retain college basketball eligibility, college players who have entered the 2026 NBA Draft must withdraw by May 27. Players who have applied for early entry have the right to withdraw their names from consideration for the draft by notifying the NBA of their decision in writing no later than 5 p.m. ET on Saturday, June 13
That could include Morez Johnson Jr. (Michigan), Ebuka Okorie (Stanford) and Meleek Thomas (Arkansas), according to Kalbrosky.
Alijan Arenas likely to return to USC despite being on early-entry list
Alijah Arenas, the son of retired NBA Al-Star Gilbert Arenas, will return for his sophomore season at Southern California, the Los Angeles Times has reported. He was a five-star high school recruit who seemed likely to opt for the NBA draft after one season with the Trojans, and his name appears on the early-entry college list the NBA released Monday.
In April 2025 Arena was placed in an induced coma after a car crash, and the accident resulted in a slow start to his freshman season.
NBA draft early-entry college players
Non-international players from colleges who have applied for early entry into the 2026 NBA Draft, with player name, school, height and class (FR=freshman, SO=sophomore, JR=junior).
Matt Able, N.C. State, 6-6, FR
Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas, 6-3, FR
Amari Allen, Alabama, 6-8, FR
Nate Ament, Tennessee, 6-10, FR
Christian Anderson Jr., Texas Tech, 6-3, SO
Alijah Arenas, USC, 6-6, FR
Flory Bidunga, Kansas, 6-10, SO
Finley Bizjack, Butler, 6-4, JR
John Blackwell, Wisconsin, 6-4, JR
Shane Blakeney, Drexel, 6-5, JR
Anton Bonke, Charlotte, 7-2, JR
Cameron Boozer, Duke, 6-9, FR
Mikel Brown Jr., Louisville, 6-5, FR
Rowan Brumbaugh, Tulane, 6-4, JR
Brayden Burries, Arizona, 6-4, FR
Elliot Cadeau, Michigan, 6-1, JR
Cameron Carr, Baylor, 6-5, SO
Chris Cenac Jr., Houston, 6-11, FR
Rueben Chinyelu, Florida, 6-10, JR
Jacob Cofie, USC, 6-10, SO
Cruz Davis, Hofstra, 6-3, JR
Kennard Davis Jr., BYU, 6-6, JR
Keanu Dawes, Utah, 6-9, JR
AJ Dybantsa, BYU, 6-9, FR
Gabe Dynes, USC, 7-5, JR
Eian Elmer, Miami (Ohio), 6-6, JR
Isaiah Evans, Duke, 6-6, SO
Jeremy Fears Jr., Michigan State, 6-2, SO
Kingston Flemings, Houston, 6-4, FR
Colby Garland, San Jose State, 6-0, JR
Allen Graves, Santa Clara, 6-9, FR
Juke Harris, Wake Forest, 6-7, SO
Isiah Harwell, Houston, 6-6, FR
Lou Hutchinson, Alabama A&M, 6-7, JR
Morez Johnson Jr., Michigan, 6-9, SO
Acaden Lewis, Villanova, 6-2, FR
Aday Mara, Michigan, 7-3, JR
Milan Momcilovic, Iowa State, 6-8, JR
Malachi Moreno, Kentucky, 7-0, FR
Paulius Murauskas, Saint Mary’s, 6-8, JR
Ebuka Okorie, Stanford, 6-2, FR
Dennis Parker Jr., Radford, 6-6, JR
Koa Peat, Arizona, 6-8, FR
Darryn Peterson, Kansas, 6-6, FR
Labaron Philon Jr., Alabama, 6-4, SO
Jayden Quaintance, Kentucky, 6-10, SO
Sebastian Rancik, Colorado, 6-11, SO
Billy Richmond III, Arkansas, 6-6, SO
Hannes Steinbach, Washington, 6-11, FR
Andrej Stojakovic, Illinois, 6-7, JR
Dailyn Swain, Texas, 6-8, JR
Tyler Tanner, Vanderbilt, 6-0, SO
Meleek Thomas, Arkansas, 6-5, FR
Aiden Tobiason, Temple, 6-5, SO
Bryson Tucker, Washington, 6-7, SO
Henri Veesaar, North Carolina, 7-0, JR
Keaton Wagler, Illinois, 6-6, FR
LeJuan Watts, Texas Tech, 6-6, JR
Caleb Wilson, North Carolina, 6-10, FR
Tounde Yessoufou, Baylor, 6-5, FR
NBA draft early-entry international players
International players who have applied for early entry into the 2026 NBA Draft, with player name, team (country of team in parentheses) and date of birth):
Mohammad Amini, Nancy (France), 6-7, 2005
Pavle Backo, Mega (Serbia), 7-0, 2007
Bassala Bagayoko, Bilbao (Spain), 6-10, 2006
Francesco Ferrari, Virtus Bologna (Italy), 6-9, 2005
Marc-Owen Fodzo Dada, Nancy (France), 5-11, 2006
Vsevolod Ishchenko, Lokomotiv (Russia), 6-3, 2005
Jack Kayil, Alba Berlin (Germany), 6-3, 2006
Sergio de Larrea, Valencia (Spain), 6-6, 2005
Karim Lopez, New Zealand Breakers (Australia), 6-8, 2007
The 2026 NBA Draft lottery will be held in Chicago on Sunday, May 10 at 3 p.m. ET on ABC. The lottery will determine the order of selection for the 14 teams who have qualified for the so-called lottery picks.
The 2026 NBA draft will take place June 23-24 in New York at the Barclays Center, home of the Brooklyn Nets.
The first round will be held at Tuesday, June 23 at 8 p.m. ET (ABC and ESPN)
The second round will be on Wednesday, June 24 at 8 p.m. ET (ESPN).
Speaking to the media Monday for the first time since having an elbow procedure last week that will sideline him until the second half of the season, Díaz said that he’s had loose bodies in his elbow “since I think I signed as a professional player back in 2012.”
Edwin Diaz details when he expects to begin throwing and eventually return to the mound. Kevork Djansezian for CA Post
For most of his 10-year MLB career, however, the issue hadn’t bothered the three-time All-Star.
It was only this season that the problem finally reared its ugly head.
During the opening weeks of the campaign –– Díaz’s first with the Dodgers after signing a three-year, $69 million contract –– the closer’s fastball velocity had been below average, even for a veteran who has dealt with slow starts in recent years.
At first, he said, he believed the problem was with his knee, which he also had surgically repaired in 2023 when he suffered a torn patellar tendon celebrating a win in that year’s World Baseball Classic.
Thus, after suffering a three-run blown save against the Rangers on April 10, the Dodgers stayed away from him for the next eight days while he worked through that issue in side sessions and bullpens.
By the time he returned to action on April 19 against the Rockies in Denver, Díaz insisted he was once again “feeling great” and expecting an uptick in his stuff.
After recent struggles, including a massive dip in velocity, Diaz underwent elbow surgery last Wednesday. Carlin Stiehl for CA Post
Instead, he suffered a disastrous outing, failing to retire any of the four batters he faced while bottoming out with a fastball velocity of 92.8 mph (one of the 10 slowest heaters of his career).
It was during that appearance, he said Monday, that he felt discomfort in his throwing arm for the first time.
“I didn’t know it was the loose bodies,” he explained. “I just felt tired, tight.”
Up to that point in his career, the right-handed said he had never been advised that the loose bodies would eventually have to be removed. He had also never previously experienced such a sensation in his elbow.
“That’s something a lot of pitchers have,” he said. “Every pitcher has something in his arm.”
But, he added, “this is my first time in my career I’ve felt my arm was sore or whatever.”
The good news, Díaz noted, is that his arm is already feeling better just days after getting his procedure done last week. Even though he won’t return until after the All-Star break, he described the prognosis and operation as “the best-case scenario.”
“I can move my arm really good right now,” Díaz said. “I’m really surprised, because surgery was on Wednesday, and today is Monday.”
Will Smith, left, and Diaz on March 28 in Los Angeles. AP
Even at this early stage of his recovery, the 32-year-old explained that such range of motion was highly encouraging –– after feeling it “was a little bit shorter than normal” during his early-season struggles.
“Now, after surgery, I’m getting close to what I was, what I am when I was good,” he said, professing confidence he will regain his typically dominant form when he returns.
“I think that maybe that’s why the velo was a little bit inconsistent (before),” he added.
While he’s out recovering, Diaz said he not only wants to strengthen his arm, but also his legs after the issues he experienced there earlier this month. He hopes to begin throwing again in a couple weeks, though any more specific timeline remains unclear.
“I didn’t know it was the loose bodies,” he explained. “I just felt tired, tight.” Kevork Djansezian for CA Post
Missing so much of the season still “sucks,” he acknowledged, especially after joining a new team on a big contract this winter.
“But that’s something I can’t control,” Díaz said. “Everyone here is supporting me. All of my teammates, they’re supporting me. They’re happy that I’m doing way better than before. They just can’t wait to see me on the mound in the second half.
“They say take your time, we need you in October,” he added. “But I want to come back as soon as possible and help this team to win games.”
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Pressure is mounting on Test opener Zak Crawley ahead of England’s home summer following another underwhelming outing with the bat as one of the leading candidates to take his spot in the national side produced a match-winning century in the County Championship.
DENVER, COLORADO - MAY 10: Detail of the scoreboard of the San Diego Padres against the Colorado Rockies in the ninth inning at Coors Field on May 10, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
On Sunday, in the second game of a doubleheader — and when the bullpen had to cover 3.2 innings in Game 1 — Chase Dollander threw seven shutout innings to help the Rockies shut out the Mets 3-0. The result was Colorado’s first shutout of 2026.
In 2025, the Rockies only held opponents scoreless three times. The first was on July 23 with a 6-0 win over St. Louis at Coors Field. The second came in St. Louis on Aug. 12 when the Rockies won 3-0. The last came on Sept. 5 when Colorado blanked the Padres 3-0 in Denver.
On the other side, the Rockies were shut out by opponents 18 times last year. I suppose that’s to be expected with a -424 run differential. Colorado put up goose eggs in three games in 2025 by April 13 alone.
This year, it’s been a totally different story. The Rockies have only been held scoreless once this season, and that came on April 21 in a very un-Coors Field-like 1-0 loss to San Diego.
Having the Rockies first shutout almost three months earlier than last season and being held scoreless only once so far is another indicator of why baseball is more fun in 2026.
It also raises an interesting question: would you rather see the Rockies pitchers hurl more shutouts or the Colorado offense get shut out fewer times? As a fan, what is more satisfying?
Apr 25, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Vince Velasquez (not pictured) throws a wild pitch to catcher Miguel Amaya (9) against Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) during the sixth inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
The Dodgers and the Marlins meet for the first time in 2026.
PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 27: Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar (80) has the puck bounce of him for a goal by Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (58) (not pictured) during the second period in Game Five of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs First Round between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins on April 27, 2026, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. (Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Pregame
The Penguins use the same players, lines and goalie from Game 4 for Game 5.
The Flyers get a few chances early and some close calls when Arturs Silovs makes the first stop and leaves a couple of rebounds just in front of him. It’s the Penguins who strike first, almost out of no where on their first shot of the game. Elmer Soderblom dumps the puck, looks routine until Anthony Mantha barges in on the forecheck and wins the puck from Rasmus Ristolainen. Mantha centers the puck and it ends up on the stick of Soderblom who hammers it by Dan Vladar. Pittsburgh up 1-0 just 2:45 into the game.
ELMER SODERBLOM SCORES ON THE FIRST SHOT OF THE GAME!!! #StanleyCup
Sam Girard takes the first penalty of the game with a tripping call early, the Pens’ PK kills it off.
Soderblom gets tripped to draw a penalty then shenanigans ensue after the whistle. Travis Konecny goads Evgeni Malkin into punching him, Mantha gets tied up with someone. Both the Pens go off, Konecny joins them, Pittsburgh ends up with a 5v4 power play out of it, nothing comes of it.
The Flyers get a push at the end, Trevor Zegras has a puck roll off his stick when he tries to lift a backhand shot, then tries to shoot after pulling the puck between his legs but misses wide.
Time runs out in a hectic first. Philadelphia has an 11-9 edge in shots, Pittsburgh has a 1-0 lead where it counts.
Second period
The Pens’ third line stacks another tremendous shift with zone time to trap the Flyers in. They start getting a change and Connor Dewar gets a pass from Sidney Crosby that he blows a wrist shot over the shoulder of Vladar. It’s in and out so quickly the refs on the ice didn’t see it was a good goal. A quick review confirms it was. 2-0 Pens.
Before the crowd stops cheering, Alex Bump zooms by Parker Wotherspoon and flips a shot that leaks through Silovs. 2-1 just 12 seconds after the last goal.
Erik Karlsson has to trip a player to prevent a rush and he’s the next to the penalty box, his teammates kill it off without giving up as much as a shot.
Chaotic ending, Crosby is felled by a Ryan Shea shot to his knee. He’d leave the game and return momentarily.
Momentum shifts to the Flyers, they catch the Pittsburgh fourth line for a long d-zone shift where they just can’t clear the puck. Eventually that comes back to haunt them, Travis Sanheim shoots the puck, it clicks off the stick of Karlsson and in. 2-2 game.
Then it’s the Pens turn for a good bounce, Kris Letang shoots from deep, the puck bounces off the end wall and Vladar’s skate and into trickle into the net with the Flyer goalie unable to find where it went. 3-2, Pens back in front.
The second period amped up quickly. Both teams scored two goals, a couple of zany bounces along the way and this game heads into the third period at 3-2 Penguins.
Third period
Bryan Rust dekes around a defender and tries to go forehand but Vladar gets the big leg outstretched to it in the first minute. The Pens stay on their front foot with zone time and Andrae trips Malkin to send the Pens to their second power play of the game. They mainly just pass it around, getting only a long and predictable shot that’s easy to stop/
The rest of the period moves quickly, both teams battle along the walls and middle of the ice but few shots are found for either side. The clock runs for about 7 minutes straight in the second half of the period and that becomes a big ally for Pittsburgh.
Whistles come, the Pens hang on with a few icings and Crosby has narrow misses on a few chances at the empty net after the Flyers pull Vladar. The crowd roars as the time grows short and runs out. Pittsburgh forces a Game 6.
Some thoughts
The Pens have kept the Flyers off the scoreboard in the first period of all five games. First period scoring was a major edge to Pittsburgh in the regular season and that’s held up in this series so far.
The second periods on the other hand have been tough goes. The Flyers have been very strong in the middle period.
Great to see Mantha show up and finally make something happen. That line was devoid of offense in the series until that point and they got back to basics. Dump the puck, create some havoc on the forecheck, get to the net. Worked out well.
It seems like as this series has gone on the Penguins are finding more ways to break through the Flyer trap and neutral zone. The weak side outlet is often there and they’re starting to find it more for some easier releases into space all the way up to entering the offensive zone.
Kudos to whoever put Crosby out for a change on the fly in the second period instead of Acciari to play with the other fourth liners. It was the perfect moment for it with so much momentum building and paid off when Crosby made a great play to glove done a clearing attempt and then Dewar finished for the second goal.
Two game winning goals for Kris Letang. This one was a fluky one, but they count just the same. By hook or crook the Pens have found some unusual ways to manufacture goals in the last few games.
Another multi-point night for Crosby, the formula was kinda the same as Game 4 with the captain finding a way to help create offense.
On that note, Ilya Solovyov only played 10 shifts and 6:09 total in this game. Exactly like last time, the Pens are going to be leaning on Karlsson and Letang for as far as that will take them.
Another solid night from Silovs too. The first goal against was one he’ll want back, not much can be done about the deflection on the second. Kudos to him that was all there was to talk about, if he can keep finding ways to keep the goals against to 2 then you gotta like the Pens’ chances. (That said, the Flyers missed the net on 22 shots tonight, including several very good looks. Again, might be classified as by any means necessary but for now you gotta take what you can get).
The Flyers were always going back to Philadelphia after tonight. What they didn’t want is for the Penguins to follow them. Well, that’s happening, courtesy of Pittsburgh’s big win that will start to shift the pressure a bit to the other team that haven’t been able to close things out. Game 6 on Wednesday night.
Apr 27, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays left fielder Davis Schneider (36) dives to catch a fly ball hit by Boston Red Sox left fielder Jarren Duran (not shown) in the sixth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Red Sox 5 Blue Jays 0
Any game where your team only gets one hit is not going to be a good game. Jesús Sánchez had our hit, a double. That and Davis Schneider’s walk, gave us two base runners on the day. Whoops make that three base runners, Daulton Varsho doubled in the ninth, pinch hitting.
Ranger Suarez was terrific.
Dylan Cease wasn’t great, either. The first three innings went well, but he kind of lost his delivery in the fourth and would give up four runs in his last 2.2 innings. In all, 5.2 innings, 7 hits, 4 earned, 3 walks and 5 strikeouts. He also made an error on a pick off throw to second. I’d love to check this out, but my feeling is there are as many errors on pick offs at second as there around pick offs of the runner. I hate the play.
Our bullpen gave up one run in 3.1 innings:
Joe Mantiply got 3 outs, with 1 hit and 2 k.
Chase Lee got 4 outs, giving up a home run with one strikeout.
Tommy Nance got 3 outs, with a walk.
It really was one of those night’s that make you wonder why you like baseball. But the GameThread was fun.
No Jays of the Day, though Davis Schneider deserves an honourable mention for a terrific catch in left field.
Other Award: Cease (-.14 WPS) and Tyler Heineman (-.09) for an 0 for 3. Of all the guys on the IL, I think we miss Kirk the most.
Tomorrow we have lefty Payton Tolle making his second start of the season for the Red Sox. And Trey Yesavage making his first start of the season for the Jays. It almost has to be better than this one.
