A former division rival of the Vancouver Canucks has announced his retirement. After 19 seasons, goaltender Jonathan Quick will be hanging up his pads, as he is set to make his final start on Monday. Quick spent the majority of his NHL career with the Los Angeles Kings and has been a thorn in the Canucks side for the last two decades.
Of Quick's 828 regular-season games, 46 came against Vancouver. The Stanley Cup champion posted a record of 21-21-4 with a save percentage of .924. Quick also recorded six shutouts against the Canucks, which is tied with the Arizona Coyotes for the most against a single franchise during his career.
Quick also had success against Vancouver in the playoffs. He backstopped Los Angeles to a massive upset in 2012, as the eight-seeded Kings defeated the Presidents' Trophy-winning Canucks in five games. During that five-game series, Quick was virtually unbeatable, allowing only eight goals and finishing with a .953 save percentage.
As mentioned, Quick's final scheduled start will come on Monday when the New York Rangers battle the Florida Panthers. The 40-year-old enters his final game with a 410-306-90 regular-season record, which includes 65 shutouts. Quick ranks first all-time in wins by an American goaltender and will most likely be elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame in the future.
Nov 18, 2022; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Los Angeles Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson (44) looks on as Vancouver Canucks forward Brock Boeser (6) scores on goalie Jonathan Quick (32) in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
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DENVER, CO - APRIL 7: Starter Mike Burrows #50 of the Houston Astros pitches in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on April 7, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Houston Astros (6-10) will look stop a seven-game losing streak this afternoon as they look to salvage the series finale in the final game of a 10-game road trip against the Seattle Mariners (7-9).
RHP Mike Burrows (1-2, 5.63 ERA) will be on the mound for the Astros, opposite RHP George Kirby (1-2, 3.60 ERA) and the Mariners.
TODAY’S ASTROS STARTER: RHP Mike Burrows is set to make his fourth start of the season. In his last start on Tuesday, April 7 at COL, he allowed three runs on eight hits and one walk with three strikeouts in 5.1 innings.
ROAD TRIP: Today is the final game of a 10-game road trip for the Astros. The Astros are 1-8 so far on this road trip. Houston went 41-40 on the road last season.
AGAINST THE MARINERS: The Astros and Mariners face each other today for the fourth of 13 scheduled matchups in 2026.
The Astros went 5-8 against the Mariners in 2025, including 2-4 record at T-Mobile Park. Houston owns a 132-100 all-time regular season record against Seattle.
The Mariners will travel to Daikin Park for the first of two road trips to Houston from May 11-14 for a four-game series.
BOLTON INJURY: Astros RHP Cody Bolton left yesterday’s game at Seattle due to mid-back tightness.
TODAY’S ROSTER MOVES: The Houston Astros have made the following roster moves: placed IF Jeremy Peña on the 10-day IL due to a grade one hamstring strain (retro 4/12) and placed RHP Tatsuya Imai on the 15-day IL due to right arm fatigue (retro 4/12).
The Astros also optioned RHP Jayden Murray to Triple A Sugar Land following yesterday’s game. To take their places on the active roster, the Astros have recalled RHP J.P. France, LHP Colton Gordon and IF Shay Whitcomb from Triple A Sugar Land.
TUVE VS. THE MARINERS: 2B Jose Altuve has hit .313 (246×787) with 49 doubles, 21 homers, 96 RBI and a .832 OPS in 193 career games against the Mariners. He already ranks third all-time in hits vs. SEA, trailing only Cal Ripken Jr. (261) and Michael Young (259), and ranks eighth all-time in games played vs. the Mariners.
AIR YORDAN: This season, LF Yordan Alvarez is batting .340 (18×53) with 12 runs, four doubles, six home runs, 14 RBI, 15 walks, and a 1.255 OPS (.500 OBP/.755 SLG).
In the Majors, he ranks tied for first in OBP, tied for first in walks, second in OPS, second in SLG, second in home runs and tied for fifth in RBI.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Monday, April 13, 3:10 p.m. CST
Location: T-Mobile Park, Seattle, WA
TV: Space City Home Network
Streaming: SCHN+
Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
Apr 1, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) talks with guard Gary Payton II (0) during a timeout against the San Antonio Spurs in...
Steph Curry only logged minutes in 43 games for the Warriors this season, but the lack of playing time has not impacted his popularity one bit.
The NBA announced on Monday that the Warriors star’s jersey was the league’s top-selling one for the 2025-26 regular season.
The league said the results were based on sales from NBAStore.com, Fanatics.com and other Fanatics partner sites.
Luka Doncic’s No. 77 Lakers threads came in second place, and jerseys belonging to Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, Spurs center Victor Wembanyama and Lakers forward LeBron James rounded out the top five.
Despite playing in just 43 games for the Warriors this season, Steph Curry’s jersey was the NBA’s top seller. Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
Other notables in the top 15 included Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, Pistons guard Cade Cunningham and Hornets guard LaMelo Ball.
Mavericks star Cooper Flagg, who came in at No. 9, was the only rookie to secure a spot on the list.
Cooper Flagg’s Mavericks jersey came in at No. 9 on the NBA’s list of top sellers in 2025-26. NBAE via Getty Images
The NBA also revealed on Monday which teams’ merchandise was the best-selling during this past regular season, and the Knicks landed the No. 1 spot there.
The Lakers, Celtics, Warriors, Spurs, 76ers, Bulls, Thunder, Timberwolves and Nuggets made up the rest of the top 10.
The NBA’s regular season officially concluded on Sunday. The postseason is scheduled to begin on Tuesday with the play-in tournament.
Crawford fined after Omaha traffic stop at gunpoint
Boxer ordered to pay $75 plus $49 in court costs
Police review found officers acted lawfully
Terence Crawford was found guilty of careless driving Monday and ordered to pay a $75 fine stemming from a traffic stop last year during which police ordered the world champion boxer and passengers out of his vehicle at gunpoint.
Oh, how different a week can make you feel. The Yankees’ fast start climbing to the top of the league with a 7-1 record has flipped on its head just as quick, as a five-game losing streak has torpedoed them down towards the rest of the pack in a hurry. While the team certainly was flawed during their winning streak, their flaws have been their outright downfall as they’ve lost one-run game after one-run game. The lineup at large has been dormant, and the few moments that a spark has sprung have been quickly put down by a bullpen that is struggling to match the success of their starting counterparts.
Drastic measures are hardly the right call three weeks into a 162-game season, but some adjustments are clearly necessary. The Yankees may not want to mess up the development of Jasson Domínguez, but they’ve yet to get a single hit from Randal Grichuk and the team is floundering from the lack of production from the supporting cast as a whole. Should they cut bait with the journeyman backup and promote Domínguez? Can the bullpen turn it around or will they need to remodel again? If you have questions like these, or anything else on your mind, send ‘em in for a chance to be featured in our Yankees mailbag.
Answers will run on Friday afternoon. All questions received by the night of April 16th will be considered. You can leave your submissions in the comment section below or by e-mail to pinstripealleyblog [at] gmail [dot] com.
The Boston Celtics’ 2025-26 regular season has come to an end. But before we turn our attention to the team’s quest for Banner 19, it’s time to recognize the C’s who played key roles en route to the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.
From MVP (an obvious choice) to the biggest surprise (a toss-up), we handed out superlatives and awards for a team that smashed preseason expectations. Here’s who’s taking home the fake hardware:
Most Valuable Player: Jaylen Brown
No need to spend much time on this no-brainer. Jaylen Brown was counted on to step up as the Celtics’ No. 1 option with Jayson Tatum out, and he exceeded even the loftiest expectations.
In what many believed would be a “gap year” for the C’s, Brown averaged career highs in points (28.7), rebounds (6.9), and assists (5.1) per game while leading Boston to a 56-26 record and the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Brown notched three triple-doubles and 14 double-doubles during the 2025-26 campaign. He tied his career high with 50 points in a January win over the Los Angeles Clippers and had six other games with at least 40 points.
Not only was Brown the Celtics’ MVP, but he also earned some NBA MVP consideration for his spectacular season as Boston’s go-to option.
Most Improved Player: Neemias Queta
Queta took his game to another level as the Celtics’ starting center. The 26-year-old averaged 10.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game — all career highs and double his 2024-25 numbers — as Boston’s top big man without Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and Luke Kornet. He recorded 17 double-doubles.
Queta is a long shot to win the award, but that doesn’t take anything away from his breakout season. He added a new dimension to a C’s offense that has been largely dependent on the 3-ball, all while being exceptional on the defensive end.
Defensive Player of the Year: Derrick White
D-White went through his fair share of offensive slumps, yet he still averaged a career-high 16.5 points per game. On the defensive end, he was even better than usual.
White came two blocks shy of becoming the first player in NBA history to make 200 3-pointers and record 100 blocks in a season. The best shot-blocking guard in the league averaged 1.3 per game, and on Dec. 30 vs. the Utah Jazz, he tied C’s great Dennis Johnson for the most blocks by a guard in a single game with seven swats.
White also averaged a career-high 1.1 steals per game. He should be a lock for his first career First-Team All-Defense nod.
Biggest surprise: Luka Garza
The Celtics’ depth at center became a concern after they traded Kristaps Porzingis and lost Al Horford and Luke Kornet in free agency. Luka Garza was the only big man they added to the roster, and entering the season with him as the top center off the bench was a head-scratcher.
Garza was a two-way player for the Minnesota Timberwolves until he signed a standard deal at the end of the 2023-24 season. The former Iowa standout was never anything more than a depth piece for Minnesota, but he carved out a critical role in Boston.
In 69 games, Garza averaged 8.1 points and 4.1 rebounds in 16.1 minutes per game while shooting 43.3 percent from 3-point range. He delivered several memorable performances, including a 22-point, seven-rebound game in Memphis and a 27-point, 12-rebound outburst in the season finale vs. Orlando.
Garza has made the case to be the Celtics’ go-to big man off the bench in the playoffs over trade deadline acquisition Nikola Vucevic. That probably won’t be the case to start the postseason, but Garza has earned Joe Mazzulla’s trust if Vucevic struggles.
Baylor Scheierman gets an honorable mention as a surprising force off the Celtics’ bench.
Rookie of the Year: Hugo Gonzalez
Gonzalez didn’t have much competition for this one. Amari Williams was the only other rookie on the roster, and he appeared in only 22 games with Boston.
Still, Gonzalez’s rookie season should be celebrated. The 20-year-old was a spark plug off the Celtics’ bench, showing tremendous hustle each time he stepped onto the court.
Gonzalez’s biggest game of his rookie season came on March 2, when he logged 18 points and 16 rebounds in a win over the Milwaukee Bucks. He also had several noteworthy performances on the defensive end and was often tasked with guarding the opponent’s top option.
It’s scary to think about how good Gonzalez could become on both ends of the floor if his development continues on its current trajectory.
Sixth Man of the Year: Baylor Scheierman
Payton Pritchard doesn’t qualify for this honor as he started in 50 of his 79 games played. Therefore, second-year sharpshooter Baylor Scheierman is the clear choice.
Scheierman delivered a jolt off the C’s bench with impressive 3-point shooting and outstanding hustle on both ends. He finished the season with four double-doubles despite his limited minutes.
In Thursday’s win over the New York Knicks, Scheierman tallied a career-high 20 points with six 3-pointers. He followed that up in the regular-season finale vs. the Magic with a career-high 30 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, and six 3s.
These performances show what Scheierman is capable of with more playing time in the coming years.
Tatum’s 10-month absence ended on March 6 against the Dallas Mavericks. He made his long-awaited return to the parquet to loud cheers from the TD Garden crowd.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 18: Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates with Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on March 18, 2026 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Luka Dončić’s trip to Spain has brought with it a lack of clarity. With no real precedent of a player going there during the season and no firm idea on a timetable for a return, there isn’t much known about what’s going on and when he could be back.
It shouldn’t be a surprise, then, that there were some conflicting reports initially on Monday about him coming back to America. According to longtime NBA reporter — and someone who is well-connected with Luka and his camp — Marc Stein, Luka is expected back in LA on Friday, a day before the Lakers open the playoffs at home against the Rockets.
That report was later backed up by Dan Woike of The Athletic.
The Lakers’ Luka Dončić, I’m told, is scheduled to rejoin the team in Los Angeles on Friday in advance of the Lakers’ first-round series against Houston after his recent trip to Madrid for treatment of his Grade 2 hamstring strain.
This came after Shams Charania of ESPN provided a bit more insight into what Luka has been doing in Europe, but also initially reported he would be back on Tuesday. Later in the day, he said he would be back on Friday, which seems to be the consensus at this point.
Shams on Luka:
"He spent the last week in Spain from my understanding, the majority of time in Spain, he underwent multiple injection treatments in that hamstring. My understanding is he'll be back in the states on Tuesday and they're gonna reevaluate him"
The “majority of his time in Spain” line does stick out, but it’s because Luka was allowed to travel back to Slovenia while in Europe to see his kids. According to the Slovenian outlet Ekipa, after completing his first set of injections, Luka traveled to Slovenia with the Lakers’ approval.
Here is a section of the article, translated from Slovenian:
It is clear that Dončić also received the blessing of the Los Angeles Lakers, who of course support Luka in every decision he makes. From going to Madrid for treatment, to traveling to Slovenia for a short time in between two series of therapies.
The Lakers are aware that the mental well-being of their first star is just as important as the physical. And it is clear that Dončić’s association with his two children will fill his soul and heart and have a beneficial effect on his mental state.
After the brief trip to Slovenia, Luka returned to Madrid for a second set of injections and will now head back to Los Angeles this week.
Austin Reaves is not close to return
In the initial Shams tweet above during his appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” he also provided an update on Austin Reaves, and not really an encouraging one.
Austin Reaves, he’s out for [the] majority of this first round series. Most likely, probably, the earliest for him is going to be the first week of May.
This doesn’t rule him out entirely for the first round necessarily, but it leaves a pretty tight window that he could return. Looking back on previous first round series for the Lakers, last year’s Game 1 against the Wolves came on April 19 and the series ended on April 30. In 2023-24, Game 1 against the Nuggets was on April 20 and Game 5 was on April 29.
This year, Game 1 against the Rockets will be on April 18. While the full schedule is not yet out, to even give Austin a shot of returning for the first round, the Lakers will need to go at least six games and even then, that’s would only be the very beginning of the first week of May.
Realistically, Austin’s only chance of returning this year is if the Lakers make the second round, which would be a tall task.
SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle Kraken forward Jared McCann will miss the team's final three regular-season games with a lower-body injury.
The Kraken (34-34-11) were already eliminated from playoff contention ahead of Saturday's 4-1 win against the Calgary Flames. McCann can now get a head start on preparing for the 2026-27 season.
McCann, 29, has appeared in 52 games and scored 20 goals, tied with Matty Beniers for second-most on the team. The regular in Seattle's top six has scored at least 20 goals in each of his five seasons with the Kraken, who acquired McCann in the 2021 NHL expansion draft when Seattle started as a franchise.
McCann was a particularly impactful player for the Kraken in the 2022-23 season, which was the only year Seattle has made the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Kraken advanced to the second round, losing to the Dallas Stars in seven games, and McCann scored a career-high 40 goals during the regular season.
McCann, a first round pick in the 2014 NHL entry draft, is entering the final season of a five-year, $25 million contract.
___
This story corrects the Kraken record to 34-34-11, and the date of the win over the Flames to Saturday.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 10: Michael Harris II #23 of the Atlanta Braves hits a single during the third inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Truist Park on April 10, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was a win-win for Michael Harris as he was on paternity leave to be with his family, and the Atlanta Braves were able to score a large number of runs while he was out. The Braves’ offense now averages 5.62 runs per game behind only three other teams after the massive 13-1 blowout yesterday.
With the announcement of Harris coming back we could assume already that he would be back in the lineup, which means that Mauricio Dubón’s stint at CF is done for the moment. The Dubón trade may go down as the best offseason addition by Alex Anthopoulos in a landslide not only for the offensive upgrade, but the versatility he has already brought this team.
The 5.62 runs per game has been impressive, especially considering the Braves are down Sean Murphy, and Ha-Seong Kim, plus Ronald Acuña and Austin Riley have had slow starts.
Today the offense will be facing Eury Pérez who is a righty, and Weiss has been pretty consistent in his lineups when facing them, at least in terms of who is drawing the start. No Braves player has faced Pérez in more than six at-bats, but Dominic Smith, who typically only starts against righties is one of two players to do so with Matt Olson being the other. Smith has been successful in those at-bats with an .833 OPS.
Drake Baldwin has two HRs in only four at-bats against Pérez, and Ozzie Albies and Ronald Acuña both have a HR against him as well. Considering the Braves are second behind only the mighty Dodgers in HRs this season, we may be in store for a HR happy evening.
In his return, Harris will be batting eighth. Maybe with his time out, his luck has flipped. His BABIP has been terrible at .256 and his xwOBA is on the top 9.0 of MLB. He has a wOBA of .287, yet his xwOBA is .401. He has arguably been the unluckiest hitter in the sport. Dubón will no be back at SS, and batting ninth.
The Miami Marlins only have five players who have faced Grant Holmes before, and three have struggled in limited action. Xavier Edwards has a .393 OPS in seven at-bats, while Connor Norby and Agustín Ramírez are both hitless so far in four and three at-bats respectively. Otto Lopez and Liam Hicks both have a hit in their two at-bats.
Surprisingly, the Marlins offense is scoring 4.38 runs per game which is in the top half of MLB. Grant Holmes is not going to have a walk in the park so to speak as some may assume.
Lamine Yamal is taking inspiration from NBA legend LeBron James ahead of Barcelona's Champions League quarterfinal second leg against Atlético Madrid on Tuesday, April 14.
Yamal changed his Instagram profile picture to James before the match at Camp Nou, which Barcelona must win by at least two goals after dropping the first leg 2-0 in Madrid last week.
The Barcelona star didn't just use any image of James, but a picture of him holding the championship trophy after the 2016 NBA Finals.
In that series, James helped the Cleveland Cavaliers overturn a 3-1 deficit against the Golden State Warriors, winning the final three games to be crowned NBA champions.
In a news conference on Monday, April 13, Yamal said he was hoping to emulate the comeback that James and the Cavs pulled off a decade ago.
“[James] is one of my references that can inspire me for tomorrow’s game,” Yamal said. “I’ll think about how he did the comeback [in 2016] and I hope it unfolds the same way for me.
"We have plenty of leaders in the team. I consider myself one of them, but not the only one.”
Lamine Yamal has changed his profile picture to LeBron James holding the NBA championship trophy after making a 3-1 comeback in the finals.
Barca needs to make a 2-0 comeback this week vs. Atlético in the Champions League 👀 pic.twitter.com/m4h7YpVuze
Barcelona fell 2-0 in the first leg, as a first-half red card for defender Pau Cubarsí proved costly. Julián Alvarez and Alexander Sørloth scored on either side of halftime to give Atlético a huge win at home.
Yamal, who has 22 goals and 18 assists this season, said his team would give everything to overturn the deficit against Diego Simeone's team.
“What I can promise for tomorrow is that if we get knocked out, it will be with us fighting until the end,” Yamal said. “We won’t stop running for one minute and give everything for this badge. I think the comeback is possible.”
LAKELAND, FL - MARCH 12: Cade Winquest #80 of the New York Yankees pitches during the spring training game against the Detroit Tigers at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium on March 12, 2026 in Lakeland, Florida. The Yankees defeated the Tigers 4-3. (Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Completing his strange trek from St. Louis to New York and back, Cade Winquest has been returned to the Cardinals after the Yankees designated him for assignment last week. The Yankees selected Winquest in the Rule 5 Draft last December, but the right-hander ultimately never made an appearance for the team.
It was a surprise to see the Yankees take Winquest in the Rule 5, the club’s first Rule 5 selection in over a decade. By rule, Rule 5 draftees must be added to the active roster and stay there for an entire season or else be exposed to waivers, indicating the Yankees saw at least some potential for Winquest to upgrade their bullpen.
But the fit proved awkward from the start. The Yankees saw potential, but they don’t have the luxury of letting long-term projects develop on the active roster while trying to win a pennant. Brian Cashman said as much when asked of Winquest’s DFA, telling reporters “It would have been nice to be able to find room to get him into games to develop, but it’s hard when you’re trying to compete to develop at the same time.”
The Cardinals assigned Winquest to their Triple-A affiliate, where he’ll continue to work in an effort to actually make his major league debut. It was a tough draw for Winquest in New York, getting warm a couple times in comfortable wins at the start of the season, only to not make it into the game. Hopefully, the call comes soon enough for him in St. Louis.
Luka Doncic, who went to Spain to receive treatment on his injured hamstring, will return to the United States on Friday, sources told the California Post.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic drives past Cleveland Cavaliers guard Max Strus. AP
The Lakers’ star guard suffered a Grade 2 left hamstring strain in a 134-96 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 2. The Injury typically sidelines athletes around 30 days, but Doncic is hoping to expedite his return to the court.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic celebrates after scoring. AP
The fourth-seeded Lakers will host the fifth-seeded Rockets in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series on Saturday at Crypto.com Arena at 5:30 pm.
Doncic was having an MVP-caliber season before suffering the injury with five games remaining in the regular season. He led the league in scoring (33.5 points), was third in assists (8.3) and sixth in steals (1.6).
Over the month of March, Doncic averaged a league-leading 37.5 points on 49.2% shooting, 8 rebounds and 7.4 assists. He led the Lakers to a 15-2 record over that period.
The Montreal Canadiens have had an exceptional season, whichever way you look at it. Getting 106 points, so early in a rebuilding process, and qualifying for the playoffs two years in a row is nothing short of exceptional. While Martin St-Louis and his staff accomplished tremendous work, there’s another factor that helped the Habs along the way: their core players remained healthy. Nick Suzuki didn’t miss a single game, just like Juraj Slafkovsky, Ivan Demidov, and Lane Hutson. Cole Caufield only missed one, Mike Matheson three, and Noah Dobson none, until Sunday.
Unfortunately, nobody is immune to the injury bug, and it finally caught up with the Habs at the worst of times. Just when the Canadiens managed to turn one of their weakness, their goaltending, into a position of strength by putting all their chips on Jakub Dobes and Jacob Fowler, their defense was attacked by the Injury Ninja. First, Alex Carrier went down to an upper-body injury, and the Habs announced he would be out for two to four weeks. Then, on Saturday, Dobson, who leads the NHL in blocked shots, appeared to block one with the inside of his hands, and unsurprisingly, also went down to an upper-body injury. At this stage, there is no set timetable for his return; the Canadiens only said that he will be reevaluated in two weeks. Thankfully, Kaiden Guhle was able to return to action on Sunday.
But that still leaves St-Louis in quite a pickle. Both injured blueliners are right shots, the Canadiens’ only two right-shot defensemen. As a result, Montreal called up David Reinbacher, who was thrown into the deep end with no safety vest for his NHL debut, with the team playing very high-stakes hockey, fighting for home-ice advantage in the playoffs. The youngster responded very well in the limited ice time he received; he played 11 minutes and change and even got his first point, but clearly, the coaching staff was shielding him and not putting him in the tougher situations.
The intensity is only going to go up from here, though, with the playoffs right around the corner, and while it looked like Carrier might have struggled to get his spot back on the roster when everyone was healthy, the Habs need him to return as soon as possible. Having three left-shot blueliners play on their off-side is not a winning formula.
As things stand, Guhle is playing alongside Mike Matheson, Hutson is playing on the right with Jayden Struble on the left, and Reinbacher is playing on the right alongside Arber Xhekaj. At least those were the combinations on Sunday, and they are likely to stick for the last game of the season since Carrier didn’t make the trip with the team.
When Carrier is ready to return, the coaching staff will need to reassess. Do you take out Reinbacher because of his lack of experience and pair Carrier with Xhekaj? That has not been a winning formula in the past. Do you keep the rookie in? Then you still need someone to play on their off-side, and you have to take for granted that Reinbacher is not ready for top-pairing duty. But Carrier shouldn’t be on the top pairing either, and nor should he play with Hutson, as that would make for one very undersized pairing.
For now, at least, Guhle seems to be the most suited to play alongside Matheson. Since Carrier with Hutson wouldn’t be a pairing cut out for the playoffs, that probably means Struble stays in the lineup, which would lead to Carrier playing on the third pairing with either Xhekaj, Adam Engstrom or Reinbacher. If it’s the latter, it means that one of the two defensemen must play on his off-side. Engstrom’s last three games haven’t been all that convincing…
Whichever way you look at it, this is quite a headache for St-Louis and his staff. Dobson has been playing such an important role for this team that he’s going to be incredibly hard to replace, especially if it turns out to be lengthy.
The Charlotte Hornets may be the No. 9 seed in the Eastern Conference, but they sure aren't playing like it.
Charlotte has been one of the better sides since the All-Star break, finishing the home stretch of the regular season with an 18-9 record. That span included splitting two meetings with the Miami Heat, who the Hornets host in the Play-In Tournament.
Point guard LaMelo Ball dished out a ton of dimes in his most recent run-in with Miami, and our Heat vs. Hornets predictions see Ball at the wheel of that offense tonight.
My NBA picks love LaMelo to top his assist prop on April 14.
UPDATE: Added a prediction for who will win tonight.
Heat vs Hornets prediction
Who will win Heat vs Hornets?
Hornets: While the Hornets climbed the Eastern Conference standings, the Heat were going in the opposite direction. Miami has five wins in its last 15 games. The Heat have issues on defense and now face a Hornets attack that was the second-best offense in the back half of the season. Charlotte is 15-6 SU (14-7 ATS) as a home favorite this season.
Heat vs Hornets best bet: LaMelo Ball Over 7.5 assists (-120)
LaMelo Ball is at the center of the Charlotte Hornets’ surge. The polarizing point guard watched his playmaking prowess rise in the home stretch, dishing out more than seven assists per game.
His brightest passing performance was 13 assists in a 136-106 blowout of the Miami Heat on March 17.
Since then, Ball has recorded at least eight dimes in eight of 14 games and did so against defenses much stiffer than Miami. Charlotte took on the likes of Detroit, Boston (twice), New York (twice), Minnesota, and Phoenix — all Top 10 in defensive rating.
The Heat, on the other hand, are horrendous on D. Miami was 28th in defensive rating in the final 15 games while allowing 127.5 points against in that stretch. Foes racked up an average of 30 assists per contest — fifth most.
Charlotte cracked open the Heat’s zone defense like a piñata in that last meeting, thriving with off-ball movement and dribble-kick passing to spot-up shooters. Ball is excellent at creating opportunities from collapsing the defense as well as working out of guard-on-guard screen action.
Since scorching the Heat in mid-March, Ball has generated an average of 12 potential assists per game. In his three head-to-head battles with Miami, that advanced measurement leaps to 14.3 potential dimes for outputs of five, nine, and 13 assists.
Player projections for Tuesday’s tilt sit at 8+ assists from Ball.
Heat vs Hornets same-game parlay
The Hornets are excellent at home when catching points and come into the Play-In Tournament producing some of the best two-way basketball, boasting a net rating of +11.3 over the final 15 games.
Kon Knueppel gets his first taste of postseason play. The sharp-shooting rookie is the main beneficiary of Ball's playmaking and torched the Heat this season, scoring 19, 22, 27, and 30 points in four matchups. He was 18 for 40 from beyond the 3-point arc in those games.
Heat vs Hornets SGP
Hornets moneyline
LaMelo Ball Over 7.5 assists
Kon Knueppel Over 17.5 points
Our "from downtown" SGP: Ball's in your Court
LaMelo’s projections call for as many as 24 points, eight assists, and six rebounds. He cashed this same stat line when Charlotte smoked Miami back on March 17.
Heat vs Hornets SGP
Hornets -5.5
LaMelo Ball Over 22.5 points
LaMelo Ball Over 7.5 assists
LaMelo Ball Over 5.5 rebounds
Heat vs Hornets odds
Spread: Heat +5.5 | Hornets -5.5
Moneyline: Heat +185 | Hornets -225
Over/Under: Over 228 | Under 228
Heat vs Hornets betting trend to know
The Hornets are 12-4 SU and 11-5 ATS (69%) when laying more than three points as a home favorite this season. Find more NBA betting trends for Heat vs. Hornets.
How to watch Heat vs Hornets
Location
Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC
Date
Tuesday, April 14, 2026
Tip-off
7:30 p.m. ET
TV
Prime Video
Heat vs Hornets latest injuries
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Let’s enjoy the beauty of the NBA Play-In Tournament, the rare moment of single-elimination stress in the NBA, and the only welcome addition to the league calendar spurred by the pandemic.
My four-game NBA Play-In Tournament moneyline parlay tells you why Magic vs. 76ers may be the hardest game to pick from, and why Stephen Curry could uncork a vintage effort. Check out my NBA picks below, starting tonight.
What a world to live in, one where the Charlotte Hornets are the biggest favorites in a round of the NBA postseason.
The longest playoff drought in the NBA should come to an end this week, but that needs to start by holding serve against the Miami Heat on Tuesday.
Since New Year’s Day, Charlotte has a 33-16 record, a 55-win pace across a full season. Quick context: 55 wins would have given the Hornets the No. 3 seed in the East.
More impressively, Charlotte has the No. 1 net rating in the NBA in 2026, 8.9 points better per 100 possessions than Miami’s at No. 16.
This game should not be close.
Suns will rise
Defer to Devin Booker. He is one of the most pure scorers in the NBA, and that is always an asset to enjoy in a single-elimination tournament. Well, single elimination-ish.
The loser between the Phoenix Suns and the Portland Trail Blazers will get a second chance at advancing to the playoffs on Friday, but that would be a path toward the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Both Phoenix and Portland should treat Tuesday night like a do-or-die moment, and in such a stressor, deferring to the best scorer on the court is a sound approach, especially with homecourt advantage in his favor.
While 76ers point guard Tyrese Maxey may be the best player on the court, his long-range looks have gone awry since he returned from a pinky injury, shooting just 18 of 57 (31.6%) from beyond the arc in nine games.
And Maxey may need that shot against Orlando’s defense, one with a few different deterrents to driving to the rim. Lessening Maxey’s effectiveness should effectively neuter Philadelphia with Joel Embiid already sidelined by an appendectomy.
Curry pumps up the volume
Maybe this is the end of the Golden State Warriors' time in relevance. It could end not with a bang, but with a whimper.
But do you really want to bet against Stephen Curry in a single-elimination moment? You must be too young to remember the joy that was Davidson in 2008. But how could you have already forgotten the gold medal game against France in the 2024 Olympics?
Curry shot 15 of 36 (41.7%) from deep in his brief return to the Warriors’ lineup in the last week. Expect him to shoot at volume against the Los Angeles Clippers, and there are few things more dangerous in this basketball universe than Steph Curry shooting at volume.
Longtime Kings, Rangers Goalie Jonathan Quick To Play Final NHL GameJonathan Quick told reporters he's wrapping up his NHL career with his final start for the New York Rangers on Monday. The longtime Los Angeles Kings goalie is a three-time Stanley Cup winner.
