Apr 19, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) gestures after scoring against the Phoenix Suns in the second quarter during game one of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
The most elite defenders of the NBA’s 2025-26 season include San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, Detroit Pistons guard Ausar Thompson, and Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren.
The three finalists for the 2025-26 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award:
Holmgren is coming off an NBA All-Star appearance for the first time in his young career. He’s on the chase for a second-straight NBA championship, becoming the fourth Zag to win an NBA title last summer (Los Angeles Lakers’ Adam Morrison in 2009 and 2010, Miami Heat’s Ronny Turiaf in 2012, and San Antonio Spurs’ Austin Daye in 2014).
Through 69 starts for the Thunder, the 7-1 talent averaged 17.1 points on a shooting split of 55.7 percent from the field, 36.2 percent on three-pointers, and 79.2 percent at the charity stripe. His 8.9 rebounds per game rank tied for No. 11 in the NBA, while his 1.9 blocks per game are tied for No. 2. StatMuse lists a defensive rating of 104.1 for the world’s up-and-coming basketball star.
At the start of the first round of the 2o26 NBA Playoffs, No. 8-seeded Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks made it clear he was going to annoy No. 1-seeded Oklahoma City’s man in the middle during the entirety of the series. Holmgren got the last laugh in Game 1’s 119-84 victory, dropping 16 points on 5-10 shooting, seven rebounds, two steals, and two blocks.
Dillon Brooks wouldn’t let Chet Holmgren hold the ball before the game. 🤣
Victor Wembanyama (centre), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic have been nominated for the NBA's MVP award [Getty Images]
Victor Wembanyama starred on his NBA play-off debut as the San Antonio Spurs beat the Portland Trail Blazers 111-98.
Wembanyama, one of three contenders for the Most Valuable Player award, scored a game-high 35 points, including 21 in the first half, as the Spurs won game one of the best-of-seven series.
"It's good to get this one out of the way," the Frenchman said. "We just tried to do the things we've been doing all year and stay solid.
"There was pressure on us to win the first game, but it wasn't that much pressure if we just stayed to the plan."
Elsewhere, defending champions Oklahoma City Thunder and the Boston Celtics both made dominant starts to the post-season.
The Thunder - the number one seeds in the Western Conference - thrashed the Phoenix Suns 119-84, led by last year's Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who had 25 points, seven assists and four rebounds.
Jayson Tatum scored 25 points with 11 rebounds and seven assists - and Jaylen Brown added 26 points - as the second-seeded Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers 123-91.
Meanwhile, the Orlando Magic stunned Eastern Conference top seeds Detroit Pistons 112-101 to take a 1-0 lead in their seven-game series.
Victory for the eighth-seeded Magic, who qualified for the play-offs via the play-in tournament, extends an unwelcome NBA record for the Pistons, who have not won a post-season game at home for 11 matches dating back to 2008.
Forward Paolo Banchero starred with 23 points, nine rebounds and four assists, to help the Magic overshadow Pistons point guard Cade Cunningham's play-off best haul of 39 points.
"[We] didn't come out with the right energy, gave them life early on," said Cunningham. "Then we had to deal with that for the rest of the game.
"There's no confidence drop from us. It's going to be a long, fun series."
Houston Rockets (52-30, fifth in the Western Conference) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (53-29, fourth in the Western Conference)
Los Angeles; Tuesday, 10:30 p.m. EDT
LINE: Rockets -4.5; over/under is 205.5
WESTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Lakers lead series 1-0
BOTTOM LINE: The Los Angeles Lakers host the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference first round with a 1-0 lead in the series. The Lakers won the last meeting 107-98 on Sunday, led by 27 points from Luke Kennard. Alperen Sengun led the Rockets with 19.
The Lakers are 33-19 in conference play. Los Angeles has an 8-3 record in games decided by 3 points or fewer.
The Rockets are 29-23 against Western Conference opponents. Houston ranks second in the Western Conference allowing only 110.0 points while holding opponents to 46.0% shooting.
The Lakers' 11.8 made 3-pointers per game this season are only 0.6 fewer made shots on average than the 12.4 per game the Rockets allow. The Rockets are shooting 47.9% from the field, 0.4% lower than the 48.3% the Lakers' opponents have shot this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Deandre Ayton is averaging 12.5 points and eight rebounds for the Lakers. LeBron James is averaging 18.3 points over the last 10 games.
Kevin Durant is averaging 26 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists for the Rockets. Amen Thompson is averaging 18.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.9 steals over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Lakers: 7-3, averaging 113.2 points, 41.0 rebounds, 28.5 assists, 9.6 steals and 4.9 blocks per game while shooting 53.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 109.0 points per game.
Rockets: 8-2, averaging 121.5 points, 47.8 rebounds, 28.1 assists, 8.1 steals and 5.3 blocks per game while shooting 48.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 108.2 points.
INJURIES: Lakers: Austin Reaves: out (rib), Luka Doncic: out (hamstring).
Rockets: Kevin Durant: day to day (knee), Fred VanVleet: out for season (acl), Steven Adams: out for season (ankle).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Victor Wembanyama has played exactly one playoff game and he is already setting both NBA and San Antonio Spurs records.
Wembanyama scored 35 in his first playoff game, passing Tim Duncan for most points ever by a Spur in their playoff debut. He had 12 points in the first quarter and 21 in the half — the most points scored in the first half of a playoff debut since the league started tracking play-by-play data (1997). Wembanyama also was defensively dominant in the paint.
Basically, just another game for the MVP finalist. The Spurs' depth also was on display, such as some huge 3-pointers from Devin Vassell in the third quarter, which helped the Spurs pull away and not look back, picking up a 111-98 Game 1 win.
The Spurs lead the first-round series 1-0, with Game 2 on Tuesday night in San Antonio.
It was a solid all-around outing from the Spurs, who got 17 points each from Stephon Castle and De'Aaron Fox, and that duo combined for 15 assists. Portland had its moments and made runs, including cutting the San Antonio lead to two in the third quarter, before the Spurs turned on the jets. Deni Avdija led the Trail Blazers with 30 points and 10 rebounds. Scoot Henderson — selected just two spots back of Wembanyama — added 18 points in a quality game for him.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - MARCH 23: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on March 23, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. 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 Nic Antaya/Getty Images) | Getty Images
While we’ll get to SGA and Jokić, the most legitimate complaint is Wemby’s inclusion over Luka. While Wemby is a generational superstar on the cusp of taking over the league, he’s also someone who played 400 fewer minutes than Luka, who needed an exception to even be ruled eligible for consideration.
At a certain point, minutes played has to matter.
The Spurs were extra careful with Wemby throughout the season, which they’re entitled to do. However, it should also come with consequences, especially compared to players who took on heavier burdens for their teams and performed as well or better.
To that point, there is not a player more valuable to their team than either Luka or Jokić. This becomes a semantic debate about the name of the award being Most Valuable Player and not something like Most Outstanding Player. By definition, Luka is more valuable to the Lakers than SGA is to the Thunder or Wemby is to the Spurs.
However, that also isn’t how voters have treated the award basically ever, so that point is more moot and not really worth arguing.
At the end of the day, Luka was one of the three most valuable players to his team. He had a fantastic season. He actually played heavy minutes. He carried a team. That should warrant him finishing in the top three in voting at the very least.
But I guess he needed to campaign his way into being a finalist like other players.
The opener to a playoff series has been critical for both of these teams in the past: The Hawks are 3-38 in series when they trail 1-0, and the Knicks hold a 36-8 edge in series when they win Game 1. Atlanta is 0-21 when falling behind 2-0 in best-of-7 series.
In the regular season, the Knicks won two of three from the Hawks, and the road team won in all three games. New York has won six of the past seven against Atlanta.
With his 29th career playoff game of at least 25 points, Brunson tied Hall of Famer Walt Frazier for second-most in franchise history (trailing only Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing with 43). Karl-Anthony Towns helped Brunson late in the game, scoring 19 of 25 points in the second half (including a team-high 11 points in the fourth quarter). It was the fourth time that Brunson and Towns each scored at least 25 points in the same playoff game, tying Patrick Ewing and John Starks for the most playoff games by a duo with at least 25 points apiece in franchise history.
Along with McCollum, Jalen Johnson (23 points), Onyeka Okongwu (19 points) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker (17 points) also scored in double figures for the Hawks in Game 1. No other Atlanta player had more than eight points.
NBC Sports will present up to 23 games in the First Round and 11 games in the Conference Semifinals across either NBC and Peacock, or Peacock and NBCSN. Playoff programming concludes with exclusive coverage of the Western Conference Finals on NBC and Peacock
Which playoff rounds will be available on Peacock?
Peacock’s NBA Playoffs coverage spans multiple rounds, including Round 1, the Conference Semifinals, and the Western Conference Finals, with coverage evolving as the postseason progresses.
Will Peacock show both Eastern and Western Conference playoff games?
Yes. During earlier rounds such as Round 1 and the Conference Semifinals, Peacock will carry a mix of Eastern and Western Conference playoff games.
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The Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers kick off a tripleheader of NBA playoff games Monday night on NBC Sports platforms.
The Raptors won all three regular-season meetings, but the Cavaliers romped to a 126-113 victory in Game 1 by capitalizing on a 36-22 third quarter and leading by as many as 24 points. Seven-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 32 points.
RJ Barrett had 24 points for Toronto, which was without starting point guard Immanuel Quickley (16.4 ppg, 5.9 apg) because of a hamstring injury.
See below for additional information on the Raptors-Cavaliers game and how to watch the 2026 NBA Playoffs on NBC and Peacock.
Toronto Raptors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers game preview:
Mitchell extended his record streak of scoring at least 30 points in Game 1 of a playoff series to nine games (Michael Jordan is second with seven). The Cleveland superstar's Game 1 streak dates to 2020 with Utah when he scored 57 points against Denver (the third-highest playoff total in NBA history).
James Harden added 22 points and 10 assists for the Cavaliers, and he now is the only player in NBA history with 20 points and 10 assists in a playoff game for five teams (Houston, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Los Angeles Clippers and Cleveland). Harden has score 20 points with 10 assists in 24 playoff games, tying him with John Stockton and Steve Nash for sixth all-time.
Brandon Ingram, Toronto’s leading scorer in the regular season at 21.5 points per game, was held to 17 points on only nine field goal attempts (his season average was 16.7 per game). The Raptors led the league in the regular season with 18.9 fast-break points per game but had only three fast-break points in Game 1, their fewest this season.
NBC Sports will present up to 23 games in the First Round and 11 games in the Conference Semifinals across either NBC and Peacock, or Peacock and NBCSN. Playoff programming concludes with exclusive coverage of the Western Conference Finals on NBC and Peacock
Which playoff rounds will be available on Peacock?
Peacock’s NBA Playoffs coverage spans multiple rounds, including Round 1, the Conference Semifinals, and the Western Conference Finals, with coverage evolving as the postseason progresses.
Will Peacock show both Eastern and Western Conference playoff games?
Yes. During earlier rounds such as Round 1 and the Conference Semifinals, Peacock will carry a mix of Eastern and Western Conference playoff games.
How to sign up for Peacock:
Sign up here to watch all of our LIVE sports, sports shows, documentaries, classic matches, and more. You'll also get tons of hit movies and TV shows, Originals, news, 24/7 channels, and current NBC & Bravo hits—Peacock is here for whatever you’re in the mood for.
BOSTON, MA - APRIL 19: Neemias Queta #88 of the Boston Celtics dunks the ball during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers during Round One Game One of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 19, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
BOSTON — With the first quarter clock winding down, Jordan Walsh sprinted as fast as he could down the court. In perfect harmony, Jayson Tatum found him for a transition layup to beat the buzzer, and the Celtics extended their lead over the Philadelphia 76ers to 15 in the opening game of the playoffs.
In the grand scheme of things — a 32-point Celtics victory — the sequence wasn’t particularly consequential, though it did amp up the TD Garden crowd.
For Walsh, however, it was the very first time he’d tallied a basket in the NBA playoffs.
As such, he turned to the Celtics bench, emphatic: after two years of riding the Celtics bench during the playoffs, the 22-year-old was a part of the postseason action. And, he was far from the only guy on the roster getting that first taste of the playoffs.
On Sunday, in a 123-91, wire-to-wire Celtics win over the 76ers, Neemias Queta, Jordan Walsh, Luka Garza, and Baylor Scheierman all saw their first meaningful playoff action.
Before Game 1, the foursome had combined for a total of 31 playoff points. And, in one raucous afternoon at TD Garden, they nearly matched that number; Queta (13 points), Garza (7 points), Walsh (5 points), and Scheierman (5 points) combined for 30 in the victory.
“I know the coaches have been talking to them,” said Sam Hauser, who started his first-ever NBA playoff game on Sunday. “Just saying, like, ‘Be ready. Might be five minutes, could be 20. Just never really know. But, [you] just got to make your minutes count.’”
In their own way, they each did just that.
And, even Sam Hauser, a relative vet compared to some of the younger guys, played his most-ever playoff minutes (28), and recorded a playoff-career-high 7 rebounds. Hauser also made the second-most threes (4) of his playoff career.
“There’s definitely some anxiety, to just kind of get stuff going,” Hauser said. “You’re just anxious; you want to get out there and get the ball tipped off.”
Each of the playoff newcomers found a different way to make their impact
Mazzulla, from the jump, stressed to the less experienced guys on the roster that the playoffs are not actually all that different from the regular season.
“I mean, you have to offensive rebound in the regular season, you have to sprint to get a transition layup, you have to defend without fouling, and you have to know your personnel,” Mazzulla said. “You have to do all the things that you can control. And it’s a credit to those guys being ready to do that.”
Queta, in his first playoff career start, made all five of his field goal attempts in his 15 minutes, while battling early foul trouble (he finished the night with 5 fouls, clearing the way for Nikola Vucevic and Luka Garza to both see substantial action).
Walsh came in with four minutes left in the first quarter and took on the Tyrese Maxey defensive assignment with fervor. Mazzulla went out of his way to point out the importance of his end-of-first-quarter transition layup.
Garza and Scheierman started the second quarter together, and each immediately made a big-time play; Garza grabbed an offensive rebound and converted two free throws. Scheierman sank a floater and swatted a Paul George layup on the next possession — plays his head coach recounted after the game.
None of them put together their biggest game of the year, but all of them did just enough to impact the Celtics positively.
“We just need guys to be ready to make plays,” Mazzulla said. “And they did that tonight.”
For Jaylen Brown, the message to the young guys was simple
Ultimately, it was Tatum (25 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists) and Jaylen Brown (25 points (26 points, 3 assists) who headlined the Celtics, as they’ve done countless times before. The veteran duo has made it to five Eastern Conference Finals and two NBA Finals.
Tatum and Brown have now played in a whopping 116 playoff games together. On Sunday, they looked like the two best players on the floor, just as they have dozens of times through their playoff journeys — even with Tatum just 11 months removed from his Achilles rupture.
Before the game, Brown had a message for his less-experienced teammates: “Just breathe. Manage your emotions. They might go on a run. They might not go on a run, but just stay together. Win the fight. Be the harder-playing team and guard. Don’t save yourself for offense. Offense is going to be fine if we defend.”
Asked Jaylen Brown what his message was to the young guys on the roster who effectively made their playoff debuts tonight:
“Just breathe. Manage your emotions. They might go on a run. They might not go on a run, but just stay together. Win the fight. Be a hard-player team and… pic.twitter.com/9sZIXeWMsG
Apr 19, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) drives to the basket between Portland Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara (33) and center Donovan Clingan (23) during the first half of game one of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
Victor Wembanyama put up the highest individual scoring total in the playoffs by a Spur all time tonight, and San Antonio alternated between moments of sheer glory and pangs of growing pains in a game 1 win over Portland 111-98. San Antonio took advantage of the Blazers’ errant shooting outside of Deni Avdija’s laborious efforts to jump ahead by as much as 16 in the first half. The Spurs were blitzed coming out of the half by an opening 8-0 run that brought Portland within two. Devin Vassell, their second-longest tenured veteran, became a man possessed in the third quarter to help San Antonio snag the lead back for good.
Wembanyama (35 points [5-for-6 from 3], 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks) and Stephon Castle (17 points, 7 assists, and 7 rebounds) did much of the early labor for San Antonio and De’Aaron Fox (17 points, 8 assists, and 5 rebounds) ascended later on for the victorious second-seeded Spurs. Vassell’s (15 points and 2 blocks) timely shooting and air defense kept Portland at bay, and Luke Kornet (10 points and 6 rebounds) ensured no dropoff whenever Wembanyama sat. Rookies Dylan Harper (6 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assist) and Carter Bryant were mostly neutral in their respective minutes, which was decent enough for their first playoff action.
Avdija (30 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists) steadied the young Blazers through the first 2 1/2 quarters, while Scoot Henderson (18 points) came on later in the game to make an impact. Toumani Camara played some Bruce Bowen-like defense to pester the younger Spurs. Robert Williams III (11 points and 4 rebounds) and Shaedon Sharpe (10 points) helped the Blazers outscore the Spurs’ bench counterparts in the first half
The teams – with a smattering of errant shots, choppy execution, and higher acuity of physical contact – struggled from the onset. Avdija scored an early seven, while Castle had five of his own. Portland did the equivalent of a hockey ‘forecheck’ to keep the Spurs from leaking out on the break, but they struggled from distance outside of a Williams three and Sharpe jumper. The Spurs’ offensive diet was spread out primarily among the non-Champagnie starters with Wembanyama scoring 9 and Castle 7. Johnson matched Avdija’s late jumper with a buzzer-beating three and San Antonio left the period up nine.
Portland saw more of its outside shots go down at the start of the second and got as close as five. But the Spurs unfurled their pick-and-roll to get Wembanyama two lob slams, while Fox caught fire later. Kornet slammed home beautiful feeds from Fox and Castle to keep the pressure on Portland. Camara drew an outsized number of fouls throughout the half, but Johnson flagged down three of the team’s eight offensive rebounds. Avdija’s and-1 got the Blazers to within seven. Despite Williams’ third dunk of the half and Castle being whistled for his third foul, San Antonio still went to the half up ten.
Portland drew as close to two of the Spurs with Advija’s teammates initiating an opening 8-0 run. Vassell turned the Spurs’ third quarter from a potential disaster into a personal display of his two-way competitiveness and maturity. More importantly, Julian Champagnie hit a few shots and joined Vassell as the necessary release valves that they had been most of the season. After an Avdija injury, San Antonio kept Portland mostly off the scoreboard and went to the fourth up 87-72.
Clingan Maneuver: Deep into the third quarter, Donovan Clingan, already a non-factor in the game, was turned away at the rim by Kornet on a dunk try and then Vassell on the next attempt.
If the top franchise centers can wear their giveaway shirts, everyone else needs to, as well.
Tirico immediately addressed the colorful palette of giveaway shirts gorgeously Fiesta-ly patterned by section. He’s the best.
Henderson whined like a teething baby on all of his fouls tonight.
I’m kinda sad that NBC doesn’t use the Frost Bank / downtown San Antonio backdrop as part of its arena backgrounds on the cutaways from action. Even Sacramento’s Golden 1 Center gets some love on those commercial breaks.
Kelly Olynyk turned 35…. and future Austin Spurs coach by 2030. Mainly on the strength of those ankle socks.
Keldon’s Kitchen: His first attempt looked slow and mechanical, but under the pressure of the first quarter clock, his next one looked pure.
Devin’s Deeds: He hounded Jerami Grant multiple times on the same possession late in the opening frame and Bryant deflected the Blazer’s ensuing pass attempt.
Sequence of the Game #1: At the start of the second, Harper ran an impressive pick and roll up the right side with Wembanyama and managed to throw a lob to the center with his left hand (going away from his body – it’s hard to do it with your strong hand).
Sequence of the Game #2: After forcing a long Blazer miss partway through the second, Fox took the carom and sent it 50 feet up the floor to Champagnie who patiently scooted crosscourt and spoonfed Vassell for a catch-and-shoot three to put San Antonio up 10.
Sequence of the Game #3: Partway into the third quarter, and right after Tirico said “Vassell, he’s EVERYWHERE on the floor,” the veteran guard hit a transition wing three to put the Spurs back up 11. This came after two emphatic blocks and a noticeable jump in his involvement on both ends.
Game Rundown
Wembanyama and Avdija missed their first shots from the tip, but produced quickly from there. Castle banked in his first jumper and his first triple followed after. Henderson’s three put the Blazers up three. Wembanyama put Advija in the spin cycle for a gorgeous lay-up – which caused Tim Duncan and David Robinson to shake their heads – and hit a pull-up three moments later. The teams remained glued to 21-15 over several possessions, and Johnson pestered Advija into an airball. Fox’s stepback three put the Spurs up nine. Wembanyama impressively blocked Sharpe’s floater, but was called for a loose-ball foul on the follow through. Despite Avdija putting up over half of his team’s points, Johnson’s buzzer-beating three got San Antonio to 30-21.
Camara and Sharpe made a mini-run to slice into the Spurs’ advantage to start the second. Two Wembanyama lob dunks followed by a Harper lay-up kept it a three-possession game. With Wembanyama lurking everywhere, the Spurs forced Portland into a shot-clock violation. Jumpers from Vassell and Fox offset Avdija’s scoring, and Fox’s previous make gave him room to set up a nice lob to Kornet. Fox’s transition three put the Spurs up 14. Kornet wrestled an errant Castle miss and gutted home a floater over three Blazers. A pair of Williams dunks brought the Blazers within ten. Coach Johnson challenged a questionable offensive foul call on Castle (knee-to-knee with Holiday) in the final 90 seconds and it was unsuccessful – also costing Castle a third foul. San Antonio held a tenuous 59-49 advantage at the half.
Henderson sandwiched a transition lay-up and triple around a Holiday three, and Portland quickly shrunk the deficit to two. A Castle lob dunk was the only field goal over 4+ minutes of the third for San Antonio. Despite that futility, Portland was unable to tie or take the lead. Fox was the first Spur to attack Avdija on the defensive end to draw the Blazer’s first foul. Champagnie slapped away a transition pass and received a skip pass to hit his first three. Vassell had a turbocharged handful of minutes on both ends, while Kornet had a powerful presence with Wembanyama resting, to help San Antonio get its lead back into double digits. Avdija and Williams awkwardly collided with each other, and San Antonio used the last three minutes to extend its lead to 15.
For the Blazers fan’s perspective, please visit Blazers Edge.
San Antonio hosts Portland for game 2 on Tuesday night at 7:00 PM CDT (note the earlier tipoff) on NBA / Peacock.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Michael Harris II homered and had three hits as the streaking Atlanta Braves defeated the slumping Philadelphia Phillies 4-2 on Sunday night to complete a three-game sweep of their NL East rivals.
Ozzie Albies hit an RBI double and Austin Riley also drove in a run for the Braves, who have won five in a row and nine of 11. It was Atlanta’s first series sweep of at least three games at Philadelphia in 10 years.
Kyle Schwarber went deep for the Phillies, who have lost five straight and 10 of 13. They were outscored 56-33 on a 2-7 homestand against the Diamondbacks, Cubs and Braves, leaving Philadelphia 6 1/2 games behind first-place Atlanta in the division standings.
Raisel Iglesias escaped trouble in the ninth inning for his fifth save. Philadelphia put runners on first and second with one out, but Trea Turner struck out and Schwarber lined out to right field on an excellent running catch by Ronald Acuña Jr.
Tyler Kinley (3-0) pitched a scoreless sixth for the win.
Schwarber’s two-run shot in the first gave Philadelphia a 2-0 lead.
Harris homered leading off the third before the Braves went ahead in the fifth with three runs against rookie starter Andrew Painter (1-1) and lefty reliever Tim Mayza.
Painter was lifted after he opened the inning by allowing singles to Harris and Acuña. Mayza loaded the bases with a walk, and the Braves tied the game on Matt Olson’s groundout. Riley’s dribbler to third went for an RBI infield single, and Albies’ double to the left-field wall made it 4-2.
Riley saved at least one run while ending a Philadelphia threat in the bottom of the fifth with a stellar defensive play at third base.
Braves starter Grant Holmes allowed two runs in 4 2/3 innings.
On a chilly night, Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto sat out after leaving Saturday’s game with lower back tightness.
Up next
Braves: Begin a four-game series Monday night at Washington. RHP Bryce Elder (2-1, 0.77 ERA) opposes Nationals RHP Jake Irvin (1-2, 6.16).
Phillies: Open seven-game trip Monday night with the first of four games against the Cubs. RHP Aaron Nola (1-4, 4.03 ERA) faces Chicago RHP Colin Rea (2-0, 3.63).
Apr 19, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Atlanta Braves outfielder Mike Yastrzemski (18) hits a double against the Philadelphia Phillies in the fourth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
It was a big weekend for Philadelphia sports. The Sixers and Flyers began their first-round playoff series, while the Phillies hosted the first-place Braves for a three-game series. The Flyers came through with a hard fought 3-2 win on Saturday night. But the rest of the weekend did not go well for the city (that was one of the worst playoff performances I’ve ever seen by the Sixers), capped off by a 4-2 loss by the Phillies on Sunday night that looked similar to so many other losses this season.
The game actually started off well. Trea Turner led off with a single, and Kyle Schwarber hit a home run that reviews confirmed did clear the fence before hitting a fan.
When Bryce Harper followed with a walk, it looked like the Phillies might be in for one of those big offensive nights that they give us every so often. But that was not to be. The next three batters got out rather easily, setting the tone for the rest of the night.
Andrew Painter got the start for the Phillies and was generally okay. Unfortunately, with the way things are going for the Phillies, okay isn’t enough. He gave up a solo home run to Michael Harris in the third and then got out of a second-and-third, one out jam in the fourth.
But unless you’re facing the 2026 Phillies, if you keep putting baserunners on, eventually it’s going to cost you. Painter allowed consecutive singles to start the fifth, and manager Rob Thomson chose to pull him in favor of Tim Mayza.
The remainder of the inning was a great representation of how things have gone lately for the Phillies in that they were both bad and unlucky.
Mayza walked his first batter, and then Matt Olson hit a grounder to second that wasn’t hard enough for the Phillies to turn a double play. The Phillies got the out at second, but the Braves tied the game. Austin Riley followed with what was by my calculations, the 200th infield single against the Phillies in the last three weeks, to put the Braves in front 3-2.
Ozzie Albies then hit a ball to left field, and I’m still not sure what Brandon Marsh was trying to do out there, but he sure didn’t catch it. The result was a 4-2 Braves lead.
The Phillies had an opportunity to get back into the game in the bottom of the inning. With Turner on first base and two outs, Schwarber doubled into the corner (at least someone had a good game), but surprisingly, Turner had to hold up at third. Bryce Harper then followed up with a ball to third that he almost beat out, but beating out close plays isn’t what the Phillies do these days.
The Braves seemed like they wanted to let the Phillies back into the game. They couldn’t tack on against some of the lesser lights of the Phillies’ bullpen, and in the seventh, gave the Phillies two baserunners thanks to a walk and hit batter. But Bryson Stott meekly popped up and Rafael Marchan watched strike three to end the “threat.”
The Phillies dashed our hopes one last time in the ninth. A Stott double and Justin Crawford walk put the tying run on base for the top of the order. But as he so often does in clutch spots, Turner was overmatched by a fastball for a strike out, and then Schwarber hit a liner to right field that Ronald Acuna was somehow able to track down to end the game.
At least the Phillies won’t have long to stew in this ugliness. They’ll travel to Chicago to start a three-game series for the Cubs. Monday night’s game will be on at the same time as the Flyers, so the hope is that the hockey team can provide us with a little bit of distraction. I doubt a road trip will do much to improve their play, but it will at least provide a respite for all the fans who were subject to watching this ugliness this weekend.
Apr 19, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Atlanta Braves outfielder Michael Harris II (23) rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the Philadelphia Phillies in the third inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
After a dominant win in Game 1, the Atlanta Braves did just enough in Games 2 and 3 to extend their winning streak to five games.
Oh, and sweep the Philadelphia Phillies for the first time at Citizens Bank Park since September 2016.
In a battle of the best and worst run differentials in the league, the Braves outscored the Phillies 16-3 this series.
Tonight began with an inauspicious start for Grant Holmes. A Trea Turner single and then a Kyle Schwarber bomb made it 2-0 in a hurry, doubling the amount of Philly’s runs so far in the series. He’d work around a Harper walk but otherwise emerge unscathed.
The Braves tried to respond in the top of the second inning, where Austin Riley and Dom Smith reached via a HBP and a single, respectively. Ozzie Albies won an ABS challenge on a called strike miles above the zone, but struck out. Mike Yastrzemski laced a ball to right but into the glove of Adolis García, and Mauricio Dubón had a valiant 10-pitch at bat that ended with an ABS-assisted strikeout.
Holmes settled down to set down the bottom of the Phillies order in the bottom of the second.
The Braves would cut the lead in half via the paternal pop of Michael Harris II, hitting his fourth home run of the year 102 miles per hour to right field. The lineup card turned over, and nothing came from our big boppers.
Good news and bad news for Holmes in the bottom of the third – he finally did not walk Harper (yay), but he did allow a single (not yay). But that would be the only damage done.
It looked like the Braves were cooking up something in the top of the fourth after Austin grounded out to start the inning. An Ozzie walk and Yaz double with Dom Smith up? You could feel CJ Nitkowski gearing up for a Moment. But it wasn’t to be – Dom’s pop out to short and Dubon’s flyout to center left them stranded.
Grant was groovin’ in the bottom half of the fourth, only needing eight pitches to set down Marsh, Bohm, and Stott.
Michael collected another knock to lead off the top of the fifth, prompting a mound visit and Tim Mayza loosening in the Phillies bullpen. Painter’s 84th pitch of the night would be smoked 104 mph for a single by Ronald Acuña Jr. Rob Thomson, not wanting to take any more chances this third time through, lifted his rookie in favor of the lefty Mayza. Drake Baldwin won a challenge as a batter (!) and reached on a walk, loading the bases for Matt Olson.
What ensues is a kind of inning that only happens TO us, never in our favor. But there’s a first time for everything~
Matt tied things up 2-2, reaching on the forceout at second. Austin then drove in another on an infield single. Ozzie followed up with a double to make it 4-2. The rally would die there, with Yaz and Dom were both caught looking for strike three.
Grant recorded two more outs before departing with Turner at first. His final line was 4.2 innings, four hits, one walk, and four strikeouts, all on 81 pitches. The one real piece of damage was the Schwarber 2-run homer in the first inning. But all things considered, it was encouraging to see Grant really settle down after the first for a solid outing.
Speaking of Schwarber, Aaron Bummer immediately harshed the vibes by allowing a double to Adolis García. But thankfully, he followed it up with quickly getting Harper 0-2 and inducing a groundout.
Michael’s very nice night continued with a single off of new reliever Chase Shugart, making him 3-3. After a Ronald walk, Mike advanced to third on a Drake flyout but neither would come home to score after Kyle Backhus struck out Matt.
Tyler Kinley had some trouble finding the zone to start the bottom of the sixth, walking García, and hitting Bohm. But he would lock back in to escape the jam. Backhaus, Kerkering, and Johnson threw up zeroes, but so did Dylan Lee and Robert Suarez. The only thing of note would be Michael working a walk (!).
Raisel Iglesias entered the bottom of the ninth in his most favorite of situations: one of the save variety. A two run lead facing the bottom of the order? Not dramatic enough, he felt. After a Stott double and Marchán flyout, he would walk nine-hole hitter Crawford to bring us back to the top of the order. Turner struck out to bring Kyle Schwarber to the plate representing the go-ahead run. He would connect with an Iggy changeup to send it rocketing 103 mph… into Ronald’s glove in a spectacular running grab. How sweep it is.
We’ll see the Phils again on Friday as we kick off our next homestand. But tonight, the Braves will have a happy flight to DC.
MESA, ARIZONA - MARCH 15, 2025: Michael Carico #9 of the Chicago Cubs bats during the seventh inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Los Angeles Angels at Sloan Park on March 15, 2025 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by David Durochik/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Starter Connor Noland got blitzed early today. He allowed five runs in the bottom of the first inning and two more in the third. Noland’s final line was seven runs on six hits over three innings. Three of those hits were home runs. He walked three and struck out three.
I guess it’s only fair to say the wind was howling out to left at 17 miles per hour. Seemed like more than that.
Right fielder Kevin Alcántara crushed one 442 feet in the third inning with a man on for his eighth home run on the season. Alcántara went 2 for 3 with two walks.
In the fourth inning, first baseman Jonathon Long hit a solo home run, his second on the season. Long went 2 for 4 with a walk. He scored three times.
Third baseman Pedro Ramirez was 2 for 4 with a walk. He also scored three runs.
Shortstop Ben Cowles was 3 for 4 with a walk and a stolen base. He drove in a run with a two-out single in the seventh.
Starter Tyler Schlaffer got through the first inning fine, but he was hammered for six runs in the second inning. Schlaffer was charged with six runs, four earned, on six hits over 1.2 innings. Schlaffer walked one and struck out two.
Right fielder Alex Ramirez went 2 for 4 with a double and a walk. He scored one run.
Center fielder Carter Trice was 2 for 5 with a double and one run scored.
Brooks Caple started and took the loss after giving up five runs in the second inning. His final line was five runs on four hits over three innings. He struck out five, walked two and hit one batter.
South Bend had three baserunners—Kane Kepley and Cameron Sisneros walked and Kade Snell was hit by a pitch
Starter Mason McGwire was terrific, allowing just one hit and one hit batsman over four scoreless innings. McGwire struck out five and walked no one.
Luis A. Reyes relieved McGwire in the fifth and almost coughed up a six-run lead. He gave up three runs while retiring only one batter before Hayden Frank relieved him with the bases loaded and only one out in the inning. Frank kept any inherited runners from scoring and went on the got the win after 3.2 innings without allowing a run. Frank surrenderd two hits, issued two walks and struck out five.
First baseman Michael Carico hit a two-run home run in the second inning. Carico went 1 for 2 with three walks.
Center fielder Alexey Lumpuy was 2 for 5. He scored once and drove in two.
Second baseman Ty Southisene went 2 for 4 with a double and a stolen base. Southisene scored three runs.
Some Mason McGwire highlights.
This McGwire is responsible for zero runs 👀@Cubs prospect Mason McGwire (son of Mark) lowers his ERA to 0.90 with 5 K's in four near-perfect frames for @Pelicanbaseball. pic.twitter.com/zbdcea3S2F
RAMSAU, AUSTRIA - JULY 21: Daniel Mulligan of Ireland hits his second shot on the fifth hole during day four of the Euram Bank Open at GC Adamstal on July 21, 2024 in Ramsau, Austria. (Photo by Jan Hetfleisch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Have regrets? That roster you meant to construct carefully but finished the job while on far too many weed gummis? Did you fritter away a couple games you know you would have won if you had it to play again today? Are you waiting for young talent that is almost “almost here”?
Unless you’re the Houston Astros — and trust me you do not want to be the Houston Astros right now — the universe has given a big mulligan to the AL West. Everyone started out 0-0 with 162 to play and after 22 grueling games…pretty much the whole division is 11-11, give or take a dead rat.
The A’s came to their 11-11 record in a very roundabout, roller-coaster-y way losing the first 4, then soon after winning 5 straight on the road against New York teams expected to contend, only to drop 3 of their last 4 and losing a series to the recent laughingstocks of baseball, the Chicago White Sox.
Meanwhile, the Rangers end the week with a record of, you guessed it, 11-11, having sat atop the division much of the first 3 weeks but unable to distance themselves from the .500 mark.
The Angels have been a pleasant surprise, which has to be concerning to their fans since it has gotten them only a record of 11-12.
The Mariners aren’t quite back even, but their series win over Texas has allowed them to creep ever closer at 8-11.
Only the Astros are buried early, having lost 3 starting pitchers, a shortstop, and 15 games out of 23.
What does this all mean? Mostly that the Mariners, widely favored to win the AL West in pre-season predictions, have given their rivals a 1.0-1.5 game head start in a race that is now 140 games. All the drama of the first 3 weeks has resulted in practically nothing with regard to the standings or the .500 mark, unless you happen to live in Houston.
That might be good news for a team like the A’s, who are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Gage Jump, and possibly later in the season Leo De Vries, to a team whose most glaring instabilities appear in the rotation and 3B.
It also means that while the A’s haven’t thrived overall, they have survived 1/8 of the season in which Luis Severino and Jacob Lopez on the pitching side, Jacob Wilson, Nick Kurtz, Tyler Soderstrom, and Lawrence Butler on the hitting side, have performed worse than they probably will in the last 7/8.
Of course their rival teams can make the same claims. Colt Emerson is a big time prospect for Seattle and no one thinks Josh Naylor is going to continue batting .146 or that Cal Raleigh will slug .262.
But the over arching point here, for all the teams, is that for whatever has gone wrong so far, whatever glaring holes were strangely not anticipated by Opening Day, whatever tough losses were endured, you got a mulligan and the chance to look forward to a 140 game season that begins tomorrow with everyone at .500 like they were on the morning of March 27th. Unless you’re the Astros, in which case you can go bang a trash can lid against your nuts and see who cries for you.
It was as if a switch had flipped coming out of halftime in Game 1, as the Knicks neutralized a Hawks strategy that was hurting them more than anything else.
Most on-ball screens involve a smaller ball handler and bigger center or forward to try to create an opening or force a switch and create a mismatch. But the Hawks utilized a less common version during the Knicks’ 113-102 win to open their Eastern Conference first-round series Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.
Atlanta frequently ran small-small actions — a guard screening for another guard — and it gave the Knicks fits defensively in the first half. It was particularly effective in the second quarter, when the Hawks shot 9-for-18 from the field and 5-for-7 from 3-point range as they erased an 11-point deficit. But the Knicks adjusted and cleaned it up in the third quarter, when the Hawks shot just 8-for-21 from the field and 2-for-7 from 3-point range while the Knicks rebuilt their lead.
“Their small-small pick-and-roll also is a problem,” coach Mike Brown said after the game. “And our guys did a pretty good job of defending that the right way in the second half. It kind of got away from us early in the game, and they got some open looks from it, but our level of physicality without fouling was really good in the second half, as well as our communication with their small-small pick-and-roll.”
Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels #5 drives to the basket during the second quarter. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Usually, the small-small actions involved CJ McCollum and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. It was a good way for the Hawks to target Jalen Brunson, who primarily was guarding McCollum and largely is considered the worst Knicks defender.
During that first half, Brunson had a particularly rough time staying with McCollum, who got a plethora of open looks. McCollum scored 12 of his 26 points in the second quarter. It created a few open looks for Alexander-Walker, too, though he wasn’t as efficient at capitalizing on them.
But Alexander-Walker shot a stellar 39.9 percent from 3-point range this year, taking a high volume of them (8.1 per game). It would behoove the Knicks not to bank on him continuing to miss quality shots.
“The way they do it, they got to the point where they mastered it, and they’re really good at it,” Brunson said after practice Sunday. “Them being able to slip out of screens and get to the point where they’re ready to go and their feet are set and ready, they’re really good at it. We just gotta be ready to be more physical. At the same time, communicate a little better, just making sure we’re not giving them the space. I think a lot of teams that have multiple ball handlers do that because it’s a very unique action that can put one of the two in space.”
The Hawks do have multiple capable ball handlers. Their strength is in their quick guards and wings rather than their bigs.
It’s an area that presented the Hawks with an opportunity to find one of their only on-paper advantages in this series. The Knicks’ 3-point and perimeter defense was inconsistent and was a talking point all year, though it got better by the end of the regular season. Often, miscommunication was at the heart of it.
For one half, it was exposed.
Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum #3 goes up for a shot as New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson #23 jumps to defend during the second quarter. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“I think we can get better on our communication, especially on guard-guard [actions],” Josh Hart said Sunday. “For the first game, it was solid, but we have to be better.
“For sure, I think we can clean it up. That communication of small-smalls, not allowing them to get [McCollum] and [Alexander-Walker] open shots. They’re talented players. Obviously, you just try to get them to shoot as many contested shots as you can. So the communication’s got to be better. The physicality was good, but we have to ramp that up. … I think they do a really good job of spreading into those screens and slipping out, those kinds of things.”
The strategy has big-picture ramifications, too. It’s something the Knicks will have to deal with if they meet the Celtics in the second round.
“That’s something that Boston does an amazing job of, and I feel — I won’t say they started it, but they really elevated it,” Hart said. “And it’s a copycat league. And you see that and say, ‘OK, how can we figure that out? How can teams do that?’ So it’s a little unnatural. I think the best way to guard those and negate those open looks is communication.”
So far, the Hawks’ small-small actions are not a big Knicks issue. But it’s surely something they’ll continue to throw at them.
Vaughn Dalzell
