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Canadiens Hoping To Steal Home Ice Advantage

Feb 6, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) controls the puck as Montreal Canadiens defenseman David Savard (58) chases in the third period at Capital One Arena. Photo credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

On Monday night, the puck will drop on a Montreal Canadiens playoff hockey game for the first time in four years. The visiting Habs are kicking off the Spring dance by taking on the Eastern Conference champions, the Washington Capitals. They are wearing the underdog tag, which doesn’t scare Martin St-Louis, because you still have to play the games.

Playoffs Primer: Canadiens Vs. Capitals
Florian Xhekaj Is Now Part Of An Exclusive Club
Canadiens: Preparing For The Capitals’ Terrorizing Power Play

For St-Louis, the playoffs are sure to help Juraj Slafkovsky play to his identity. When asked where he saw the most significant growth in the former first-overall pick’s game this season, the pilot replied:

Understanding his biggest asset is his size and his physicality. When that’s at the forefront of his game, the rest comes with it.
- Martin St-Louis on Juraj Slafkovsky's biggest growth. 

For the Canadiens to win this series, they will need a significant contribution from their first line. If Slafkovsky is engaged and dialed in physically, Nick Suzuki’s and Cole Caufield’s jobs become much easier.

Washington won the season series between the two teams, winning twice and losing once. That loss came after the Canadiens had turned a corner and become a much more confident team.

After a few tough seasons injury-wise, it looked like the 2024-25 campaign would be more of the same for the Habs when Patrik Laine and David Reinbacher went down to knee injuries in a preseason game. Still, thankfully for St-Louis’ men, those and Kaiden Guhle’s skate cut were the most significant injuries of the season.

The Canadiens are ready to go on Monday and have no significant injuries, while it looks like the Capitals will be without Aliaksei Protas at least to start the series. The fourth-year center had a coming-out party this season with 66 points in 76 games, playing a significant part in Washington’s offense. However, he suffered a skate cut at the start of April and only started skating again on Sunday.

There has also been no confirmation about goaltender Logan Thompson’s availability, and not having your number one goaltender in the playoffs is hardly a comfortable position to be in.

There’s no uncertainty on the Canadiens’ net as Samuel Montembeau will get the nod. The netminder has played six times against the first-round foe and has a 2-3-0 record against them, alongside a 3.49 goals-against average and a .893 SP.

Thompson is 1-0-1 against the Canadiens with a 3.04 GAA and a .889 SP, while Lindgren, a former Hab, is 3-1-0 against them with a 2.51 GAA and a .899 SP. Goaltenders Clay Stevenson and Hunter Sheppard have each played a game for the Caps this season, with the former allowing five goals and the latter seven. One can safely assume Carbery would likely prefer not to go there.

Throughout the season series, Cole Caufield has been the Canadiens’ top scorer with five points in three games, followed by Nick Suzuki and Lane Hutson, who both have four. Brendan Gallagher, Alex Newhook, Christian Dvorak, David Savard, Josh Anderson, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Kaiden Guhle had a single point while everyone else was kept off the scoresheet. Needless to say, the Habs will need to spread the offense around if they want to win.

The attack was much more spread out for Washington, with gritty winger Tom Wilson and youngster Protas leading the way with four points apiece in three games. Ovechkin, center Dylan Strome, and right winger Taylor Raddysh all had three points, but the captain did it in two games, missing one of the duels. Connor McMichael, Pierre-Luc Dubois, John Carlson, Jacob Chychrun, and Trevor Van Riemsdyk all scored two points in the season series, demonstrating that the Capitals have more offensive contributors.

St. Louis has already announced his lineup, and there will be no change from the end of the season. In other words, there's still no room for Arber Xhekaj on the blueline. With Wilson playing for the Caps, it's an interesting decision. 

The puck drop is set for 7:00 PM and this is one match-up you won’t want to miss…

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Warriors' Butler drops fire Steph bar after win vs. Rockets

Warriors' Butler drops fire Steph bar after win vs. Rockets originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

There are two words that best describe the Warriors’ big win over the Houston Rockets on Sunday night.

‘Organized chaos.’

The phrase was uttered time and time again by Golden State’s star forward Jimmy Butler after its 95-85 win over Houston at Toyota Center, and perhaps is the thematic representation of Warriors teams past, present and future, as long as there is one common denominator: Steph Curry.

“I’m great in the organized chaos, because I know when I can see it coming and [I’m thinking] ‘Let’s get back just in case.’ But he’s (Curry) incredible out of that organized chaos,” Butler told reporters postgame. “I think he gets an incredible shot, or he makes an incredible shot for himself, or he gets it for somebody else.

“I love the organized chaos, I’m not going to lie to you, because nobody knows what to expect. Not even myself, not even coach. The only person that knows what’s coming out of the organized chaos is the person that’s creating it.”

The Warriors led Houston by as many as 23 points in the third quarter before the Rockets stormed back to make it a one-possession game midway through the fourth. As it oftentimes is in the NBA, turnovers were contagious on Sunday night, but it was the Warriors who did a better job at course-correcting mid-chaos.

“[Warriors coach Steve Kerr] hates [bad turnovers] as much as I hate it as well, but sometimes good things come out of this organized chaos, that one player in particular loves and thrives in,” Butler added. “So you’ve got to take the crooked with the straight sometimes. It’s not going to be all good and it’s not going to be all bad either.”

The Warriors’ offense, even at the peak of its powers during the dynastic run with Curry, Kerr and Draymond Green, has been turnover-prone at times. However, there usually is a signature Curry Flurry that emerges from the chaos and helps fuel an eventual win.

That still is part of the recipe for success in Year 16 of the Warriors’ Curry-led offense.

“We’re living or dying with that organized chaos,” Butler concluded.

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Duke star Cooper Flagg officially declares for 2025 NBA Draft

Duke star Cooper Flagg officially declares for 2025 NBA Draft originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Cooper Flagg is going pro.

The Duke star officially declared for the 2025 NBA Draft on Monday in an Instagram post.

Flagg averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 37 games as a freshman for Duke, winning College Player of the Year, ACC Player of the Year and leading the Blue Devils to their first Final Four appearance since 2022.

Flagg entered the collegiate season as the consensus top recruit, and he lived up to all the expectations. Duke went 35-4 with a 19-1 mark in the ACC — winning the regular season and conference tournament titles. While the Blue Devils fell two games short of a national championship, it wasn’t due to Flagg’s production. He scored 27 points in the Final Four loss to Houston.

There were rumors that Flagg could consider returning to Durham for a sophomore season, but NBA money — mainly once he gets to his second contract and beyond — is too much to pass up, even in the NIL era.

The forward from Maine is now widely expected to be the No. 1 pick in June’s draft, but the team who has the right to select him is still unknown.

The NBA Draft Lottery is set for Monday, May 12, with three teams sharing a 14% chance at winning the top pick — the Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets. Other teams in the mix include the New Orleans Pelicans (12.5%), Philadelphia 76ers (10.5%), Brooklyn Nets (9%), Toronto Raptors (7.5%) and San Antonio Spurs (6%).

The NBA Draft will take place from June 25-26 in New York.

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Duke star Cooper Flagg officially declares for 2025 NBA Draft

Duke star Cooper Flagg officially declares for 2025 NBA Draft originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Cooper Flagg is going pro.

The Duke star officially declared for the 2025 NBA Draft on Monday in an Instagram post.

Flagg averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 37 games as a freshman for Duke, winning College Player of the Year, ACC Player of the Year and leading the Blue Devils to their first Final Four appearance since 2022.

Flagg entered the collegiate season as the consensus top recruit, and he lived up to all the expectations. Duke went 35-4 with a 19-1 mark in the ACC — winning the regular season and conference tournament titles. While the Blue Devils fell two games short of a national championship, it wasn’t due to Flagg’s production. He scored 27 points in the Final Four loss to Houston.

There were rumors that Flagg could consider returning to Durham for a sophomore season, but NBA money — mainly once he gets to his second contract and beyond — is too much to pass up, even in the NIL era.

The forward from Maine is now widely expected to be the No. 1 pick in June’s draft, but the team who has the right to select him is still unknown.

The NBA Draft Lottery is set for Monday, May 12, with three teams sharing a 14% chance at winning the top pick — the Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets. Other teams in the mix include the New Orleans Pelicans (12.5%), Philadelphia 76ers (10.5%), Brooklyn Nets (9%), Toronto Raptors (7.5%) and San Antonio Spurs (6%).

The NBA Draft will take place from June 25-26 in New York.

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Minnesota Wild Recall Devin Shore From Iowa

Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Wild have recalled forward Devin Shore from the Iowa Wild, it was announced Sunday. 

Shore, who is in his first season with the Wild organization, has split time this year between the NHL and AHL. In 55 games with Minnesota, Shore has scored one goal and added four assists for five points while collecting two goals and 10 points in 15 games with Iowa. 

Drafted by the Dallas Stars in the second round of the 2012 NHL Draft, Shore has played in 498 career NHL games with the Stars, Wild, Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Edmonton Oilers and the Seattle Kraken. Across that time, Shore has put up 52 goals and 92 assists for 144 points. 

With Shore being recalled to the Wild, he could potentially draw into the lineup for the Wild at some point in the series if things aren't going their way. While Shore only has four career NHL playoff games under his belt, the Wild know what they are getting with him and could put him into the lineup if they are in need of an energy boost. 

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Maple Leafs' Mitch Marner Shows Up In Game 1 – The 4 Nations Experience Played A Part

Mitch Marner (John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images)

Despite the fact the Toronto Maple Leafs came into the playoffs as the Atlantic Division champions, there were questions (ohh the questions) about how their first-round series against the Ottawa Senators would kick off.

The Senators are a scrappy bunch who had tons of success against the Leafs in the regular season, and of course, there is the narrative that Toronto's stars don't play up to expectations in the post-season.

One of the players often mentioned is Mitch Marner, but if Game 1's 6-2 victory was any indication, Marner is gonna be just fine.

Each member of the "Core Four" – Marner, Auston Matthews, John Tavares and William Nylander – got on the scoresheet in Game 1. One of the most emphatic moments in Toronto's offensive onslaught was Marner's first-period breakaway goal.

It was a big-moment tally that, while not as important as the talented right winger's OT-winner for Canada over Sweden at the 4 Nations Face-Off, at least brought back the memory of Marner's performance at that international tournament.

Marner does believe it helped playing in that previous pressure-packed showdown this season.

"Maybe with calmness and confidence," he said. "That tournament was pretty quick, obviously very, very intense, and that's what the playoffs are. It happens quickly, games go by fast, and you look forward to the next one and realize it will be even harder."

But the goal wasn't the only good thing Marner did in Game 1.

For a player who had been criticized in some circles for not being a playoff performer, Marner showed off a variety of positive traits against Ottawa, from outmuscling defenseman Jake Sanderson to a puck in the first period to nearly getting a breakaway on the penalty kill in the second. As it was, Marner did enough on that breakout to get the puck to Matthews, wasting valuable Senators power-play time in the process.

Overall, Marner played Game 1 with the poise, patience and skill you would expect from a 102-point player who will also likely get a number of Selke votes this year. With three points in Game 1, the Leafs superstar is nearing point-per-game status in his NHL playoff career. In total, the "Core Four" totalled nine points on the night, though it wasn't top of mind for the players themselves.

"I don't think we think about it that way – we think about wins," Marner said. "To start off with a win is great. Now, we have to look forward to the next one, and that will be even harder to win. But we'll try to figure out how to be even better on Tuesday."

It's a great team sentiment, but the fact Toronto's top guns have been unleashed early is great news for the Leafs.

"Yeah, they were dialled in," said goalie Anthony Stolarz. "I liked how all four of our lines played."

It's also a troubling harbinger for the Senators. Few teams could slow down Marner this season, and in Game 1 of the playoffs, that trend certainly continued.

NHL Playoffs Are Here: Most To Prove, Cinderella Runs, Early Exits, Traditions And MoreNHL Playoffs Are Here: Most To Prove, Cinderella Runs, Early Exits, Traditions And MoreThe NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs are full of storylines and tradition.

The 4 Nations was a fascinating NHL experiment that went very right, but the ramifications on the players who took part won't truly be known until the Stanley Cup is awarded again this summer. When Canada won gold over Team USA, it was Marner setting up Connor McDavid for the winner. Could Marner earn similar glory with a different color of maple leaf on his chest in June?

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

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Serie A title playoff a tantalising prospect as weary Inter stumble | Nicky Bandini

Champions looked leggy in defeat at Bologna but fatigue could lead to a rare and dramatic finale with Napoli

“The season does not end here,” repeated Simone Inzaghi at full time: to Sky Sport, to Dazn, to anyone who would listen. An undeniable truth, seeing as there are still five rounds to go, yet the more he said it the more you started to wonder who he was trying to convince. Himself? His players? Beppe Bergomi back in the studio?

Why should he even be troubled by this idea? His team were still top of the table. A 1-0 loss to Bologna meant Inter finished the weekend level on points with Napoli, but officially they remained ahead courtesy of Serie A’s second tie-breaker. Both head-to-head meetings ended in 1-1 draws, but the Nerazzurri’s goal difference is far superior.

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2025 NBA Playoffs results, highlights, recap for April 20, including Stephen Curry going off. Again.

Four more playoff series got underway on Sunday, with the top four seeds in the league getting into action. For three of them, they got the expected wins. However, Houston may have a problem.

WARRIORS 95, ROCKETS 85

It was the defining question for Houston going into this series: When the Rockets needed a bucket in the fourth quarter of a tight game, who would they turn to? Could they score in the half-court when it mattered?

After watching Game 1, we still don't have an answer. While Alperen Sengun scored 26 to lead the Rockets, he's not the guy who creates his own shot in the half-court like that. It was often Amen Thompson trying to create late, but he finished 4-of-9 shooting on the night (although he did have six assists). Maybe he will evolve into that guy, but he's not that guy yet.

The Warriors, on the other hand, have two of those guys, and one of them is one of the greats ever to do it.

Stephen Curry scored 31, Jimmy Butler 25, and other players like Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody stepped up with clutch shots late.

This is going to be a defensive struggle of a series and the Rockets can't leave points all over the court like they did in Game 1 (6-of-29 from 3, 20.7%, and 11-of-20 on free throws, 55%). For Houston, there is room for improvement and ways to win. However, the big question about them entering this series is the same question we have after Game 1.

CELTICS 103, MAGIC 86

While a deep Celtics playoff run will be about Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, Game 1 against the Magic was all about the Boston guards: Jrue Holiday, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard. That trio powered the Celtics to a 1-0 series lead against the Magic.

Boston trailed by one at the half but Jrue Holiday changed the tenor of the game in the third quarter with his two-way play — he was a disruptive defensive force at the point of attack against Franz Wagner and he scored all nine of his points in the quarter. His energy flipped the game on its head.

Meanwhile, on a day Boston's biggest names were not sharp — Tatum and Brown were a combined 2-of-10 from 3 — White took over, hit seven 3-pointers and led everyone in scoring with 30.

Payton Pritchard looked like the Sixth Man of the Year he will be and added 19 points.

This game followed the expected script for this series: Orlando was physical, its defense impressive, making life difficult for Boston, but the Magic couldn't score enough to win. They don't have the shooting or depth of options. Paolo Banchero put up 36, Wagner 23, but they were the only Orlando players to score in double digits. It's not clear where more offense is going to come from for the Magic.

CLEVELAND 121, MIAMI 100

Before tip-off of this game, the NBA on TNT crew announced the finalists for all of the league’s individual postseason awards. When it got to Sixth Man of the Year, there were likely some casual fans who said, "Who is Ty Jerome?"

He's the guy who came off the bench, scored 16 in the fourth quarter (making it 28 for the game) and secured the Cavaliers' Game 1 win.

It wasn't just Jerome. The Cavaliers had the best offense in the Association during the regular season and nothing changed in this game. In the first quarter, the Cavaliers' guards drove into the lane at will, scoring 18 points in the paint. Then, when the Heat adjusted, the Cavaliers kicked out to open shooters at the arc, who knocked down shots. Donovan Mitchell stepped up with 30 points and Darius Garland had 28. Miami, which played good defense in the final weeks of the season, had no answers.

"They have guys that drive and break you down off the dribble and they can also just shoot pull-up threes and they're very good spot-up shooters, as well," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "So that's the task and it's up to us to figure out how to beat that."

It will be interesting to see what adjustments Spoelstra makes. Miami's offense hung with the Cavaliers for three quarters, then went ice-cold. Kel'el Ware looked like a rookie. The challenge for Spoelstra is he doesn't have enough chess pieces on the board to simply move things around and compete with the No. 1 seed Cavaliers. There are no easy answers.

THUNDER 131, GRIZZLIES 80

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While one could summarize what worked for Oklahoma City with "everything," let's focus on their defense. It's just astoundingly good, and with a week off and fresh legs, Memphis was doomed.

Oklahoma City walled off the paint to Grizzlies guards, rotated on a string and challenged everything, and essentially forced Zach Edey floaters or contested shots on every part of the court. There was no air for Memphis to breathe.

Oklahoma City put up 131 points in a game where Shai Gilgeous-Alexander struggled, shooting 4-of-13 from the field. Jalen Williams led the Thunder with 20 points, but no player was under pressure to take over. This was a team win. And a demoralizing one for the Grizzlies, who were outplayed in every facet of the game.

The only drama left in this series: Can Memphis win a game? Didn't feel like that Sunday.

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Playoff Jrue returns at perfect time for Celtics: ‘I like to win'

Playoff Jrue returns at perfect time for Celtics: ‘I like to win' originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Our working theory has been that, since arriving in Boston, Jrue Holiday spends pretty much the entirety of the 82-game regular season exploring all the different ways he can impact winning, shunning his own counting stats so that the rest of his teammates can pile up theirs. Then when the postseason begins and the games really matter, he goes into turbo mode.

When we presented this theory to him recently, Holiday had a much simpler explanation for his knack for giving games exactly what they need, particularly on the playoff stage.

“I like to win,” said Holiday.

And for the better part of the past half decade, all he’s done is win. Two NBA titles. Two gold medals. He’s the glue that holds together whatever collection of talent you pair him with.

In Sunday’s Game 1 against the Orlando Magic, Holiday limited his opponents to five points on 2-of-10 shooting with three forced turnovers. Holiday changed the entire tenor of the game with his third-quarter defense on the Magic tandem of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, helping the Celtics pull away.

Banchero finished with 0 points on 0-for-4 shooting and a turnover in five minutes, 15 seconds of matchup time, per NBA tracking. Wagner managed two points on 1-of-3 shooting with 2 turnovers.

In maybe the defining sequence of the game, Holiday forced Wagner to turn the ball over at midcourt then drilled a 3-pointer in transition.

Holiday, typically stoic and composed, had a little extra bounce as he did his trademark Dr. Evil pinkie finger celebration and bounced toward a euphoric Celtics bench.

Holiday finished with nine points while knocking down a trio of 3-pointers. He added five assists, three rebounds, and three steals over 33:13. And his defense was a game-changer yet again. Just like it was throughout last year’s playoff run.

So back to that theory on Playoff Jrue.

“I like to win and I feel like, when it comes to winning, you have to do whatever is necessary,” said Holiday. “Sometimes if you want to and sometimes if you don’t. A lot of the time, you get a certain gratification if you’re the handyman or doing the dirty work. Or even just seeing your teammates succeed. Like, that’s a big smile put on my face.”

Holiday insists he gets more gratification from watching Derrick White and Payton Pritchard do their thing — whether that’s combining for the first 40/40 game in Celtics history, or propelling the offense in Sunday’s Game 1 win over the Magic — than he does in chasing his own counting stats. He’s secure in what he brings to the team.

It was easy to fret about Holiday’s inconsistent 3-point shooting during the 2024-25 season. One year after being the best corner 3-point shooter in the NBA, his efficiency literally halved, dipping from 60 percent (55 for 92) in the corner last year, to 30 percent (32 of 105) this year.

At age 34, was Father Time finally catching up to Holiday? Would the Celtics regret the big-money extension they delivered at the end of last season?

A late-season surge, even as he battled a rare mallet finger injury, calmed those concerns. And to the surprise of no one, Holiday shifted to another gear at Sunday’s start to Boston’s latest postseason adventure.

“He just does so much for our team,” said White, praising the havoc Holiday created on the defensive end while taking on the challenge of defending Banchero in the third quarter. “And [Holiday] just doesn’t care about the numbers and whatnot. It’s great to have him as a teammate.”

Holiday and the Celtics kicked up their defensive energy throughout Game 1. The Celtics averaged 13.9 deflections per game during the regular season, but that number spiked to 26 deflections in Game 1, the highest mark of any team in the weekend’s opening games.

The Celtics posted a defensive rating of 88.5 during Holiday’s court time. They had a +24.6 net rating overall in his court time.

That’s the Playoff Jrue we know. When the lights are the brightest, Holiday is ready to give the game whatever it requires.

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Duke star Cooper Flagg officially declares for 2025 NBA Draft

Duke star Cooper Flagg officially declares for 2025 NBA Draft originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Cooper Flagg is going pro.

The Duke star officially declared for the 2025 NBA Draft on Monday in an Instagram post.

Flagg averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 37 games as a freshman for Duke, winning College Player of the Year, ACC Player of the Year and leading the Blue Devils to their first Final Four appearance since 2022.

Flagg entered the collegiate season as the consensus top recruit, and he lived up to all the expectations. Duke went 35-4 with a 19-1 mark in the ACC — winning the regular season and conference tournament titles. While the Blue Devils fell two games short of a national championship, it wasn’t due to Flagg’s production. He scored 27 points in the Final Four loss to Houston.

There were rumors that Flagg could consider returning to Durham for a sophomore season, but NBA money — mainly once he gets to his second contract and beyond — is too much to pass up, even in the NIL era.

The forward from Maine is now widely expected to be the No. 1 pick in June’s draft, but the team who has the right to select him is still unknown.

The NBA Draft Lottery is set for Monday, May 12, with three teams sharing a 14% chance at winning the top pick — the Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets. Other teams in the mix include the New Orleans Pelicans (12.5%), Philadelphia 76ers (10.5%), Brooklyn Nets (9%), Toronto Raptors (7.5%) and San Antonio Spurs (6%).

The NBA Draft will take place from June 25-26 in New York.

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Experienced Warriors prevail in battle of lessons vs. young Rockets

Experienced Warriors prevail in battle of lessons vs. young Rockets originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors spent most of three quarters Sunday night dragging the young Houston Rockets down a path of self-destruction. Their postseason experience was teaching lessons. They were cooking up a rout.

This first-round playoff series was going to be over in four or five games.

But prosperity is fleeting for this season’s Warriors. After building a 23-point lead (66-43) with 6:28 left in the third quarter, Houston pulled within three (76-73) over the next 12 minutes.

Under threat, the Warriors recalled the formula that served them so well earlier, taking charge over the final six minutes and escaping with a 95-85 victory in Game 1 of the first-round Western Conference playoff series.

Golden State over the final 6:33 limited Houston to four field goals and forced four turnovers to walk out of Toyota Center with the W and a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

“It took everything,” Draymond Green said on “Warriors Postgame Live.” “We know that’s a great ball club. They’re the No. 2 seed for a reason. They’re a great defensive team. They never back down. We got up 23 points, and they continued to fight. That’s what we expect. It just takes a consistent effort for 48 minutes.

“And we can be a lot better.”

That’s true, and it’s not something the Rockets want to hear. The Warriors shot 47.4 percent from the field, 37.5 percent from distance. Stephen Curry (31 points) and Jimmy Butler III (25) carried an offense that otherwise was ordinary.

This was a triumph of intellect over athleticism, discipline over zeal. The Rockets dominated rebounds (52-36), second-chance points (22-12) and attempted 11 more field goals than the Warriors. Those wins were rendered irrelevant because Golden State’s execution of its defensive game plan kept nudging their offense out of rhythm.

“They’re the best team in the league in the possession game,” coach Steve Kerr told reporters in Houston. “They got 11 more shots than we did tonight as a result of all those offensive boards. Now we’re going to turn them over, too. Our defense is excellent. We just held a hell of a team to 85 points on their home floor, so our defense is big time and we’re going to count on that.”

Houston’s top scorer, Jalen Green, managed seven points on 3-of-15 shooting, including 0 of 4 from deep. His backcourt mate, Fred VanVleet, was 4 of 19, including 2 of 13 from beyond the arc. Aside from center Alperen Şengün’s 26 points on 11-of-18 shooting, the Rockets’ offense was MIA.

The game plan was to keep the Rockets in the half court, where their offense tends to stagnate. It’s a lesson the Warriors learned two weeks ago in a 106-96 loss to Houston at Chase Center. They committed 20 turnovers, mostly of the live-ball variety, and that allowed the Rockets to launch into transition buckets.

“If we can keep them in the halfcourt,” Moses Moody said after that game, “their offense is basically whatever Şengün can get or step-back 2-pointers by Jalen Green.”

When the Warriors took care of the ball, they were in command. When they got sloppy, as they did late in the first half and early in the second, they opened Houston’s transition game, which narrowed the margin.

“We’ve got to recognize that we don’t need to take chances in this series,” Kerr said. “We need to be clean with our execution and transition. We don’t need to dribble through traffic. We don’t need to throw a lob passes to try to get a dunk. We’ve got to be rock solid. And if we’re smart and tough, we’re going to be in good shape.

The Warriors had some trouble with the Houston’s twin-towers lineup, featuring Steven Adams and Şengün, who combined for 21 rebounds, seven on the offensive glass. But Golden State’s defense exposed the Rockets’ mediocre shooting.

“We just flew around,” Green said. “We didn’t give up any easy looks. We followed our defensive game plan. Just make them take tough shots. Be a lot better off if we could get some rebounds.”

The Rockets learned that forcing turnovers and pounding the glass is their only route to success against Golden State. They’re not built to win any other way.

The Warriors learned that they’re able to navigate Houston’s physicality barely well enough – only 20 assists – but their offense is what will dictate the direction of this series. 

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Lucy Shuker: ‘I took up the sport to find me. It wasn’t to be a Paralympian’

Britain’s wheelchair tennis legend shares how the sport helped her accept her disability and her dreams of greater access across the world

“There are thousands of people out there that have a disability. Just because you have one doesn’t mean you have to stop living,” says Lucy Shuker as she calmly reflects on her journey of more than two decades and the message she hopes it conveys. It is fair to say Shuker has embodied those sentiments in full. At 44 years old, she has been an unceasing presence at the highest level of wheelchair tennis, making her one of the most successful British players.

This journey began with life-changing adversity. Aged 21, shortly after graduating from university and passing her driving test, Shuker was involved in a motorcycle crash that left her paralysed from the chest down. She spent 10 months in hospital as she tried to come to terms with the reality that three-quarters of her body no longer worked.

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Bottle it up: how venting emotion can harm performance in elite sport | Sean Ingle

Studies have shown that failing to control feelings has a negative effect on outcomes – but there are exceptions

Two scenes from an extraordinary week. The first: Justin Rose, a gentleman in a bearpit as Augusta hollered loud and long for Rory McIlroy. The second: the British tennis player Harriet Dart, causing a stink by asking for her French opponent to apply deodorant as “she’s smelling really bad” before succumbing to a 6-0, 6-3 thrashing.

Pressure does strange things, of course. But the wildly different reactions of Rose, Dart and indeed McIlroy, whose final round became part white-knuckle ride, part pass‑the‑parcel, raises an intriguing question: when the heat is on, should sport stars let their emotions out or bottle them up to improve their performance?

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3 Takeaways: Golden Knights Strike First, Top Wild 4-2 To Take 1-0 Series Lead In Opening Round Of NHL Playoffs

<i>Golden Knights wing Pavel Dorofeyev (16) scores a goal against the Wild during the second period of Game 1 of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena on April 20, 2025. <b>Photo Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images</b></i>

LAS VEGAS -- It takes 16 wins to hoist Lord's Stanley Cup.

One down, 15 to go.

The Golden Knights opened their 2025 postseason campaign with 4-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Sunday night to take a 1-0 series lead in the best-of-seven set.

Brett Howden scored twice and Adin Hill made 18 saves for the Knights. Pavel Dorofeyev also scored for Vegas, his first career playoff goal, while Tomas Hertl found the slimmest of margins for his 26th career playoff score.

Matt Boldy scored both of Minnesota's goals while Filip Gustavsson made 23 saves.

Vegas opened the scoring late in the first period when Hertl simply outmuscled Minnesota's Brock Faber to grab the puck and lift it short side and beat Gustavsson.

Boldy tied the game a little more than two minutes later when he one-timed Kirill Kaprizov's cross-ice pass to the doorstep past Hill.

The Knights retook the lead late in the second period, just five seconds into a power play, when Shea Theodore dragged the puck down the line, faked a shot and fed Dorofeyev, who fired a missile into a wide-open net to make it 2-1.

Howden pushed the lead to two goals early in the third period when he took a pass from Nic Roy inside the blue line during an odd-man rush and lasered a wrist shot from the bottom of the left circle.

The Wild closed the gap again when Kaprizov's shot caromed behind the net, and Boldy was there to gather the puck on one side and deliver a nifty wraparound to the other and make it a one-goal game.

Howden's second of the evening, into an empty net as time expired, provided the final margin.

Here are three takeaways from Sunday's game:

NO PRESSURE: Dorofeyev, who led the Golden Knights with 35 goals during the regular season, may have done himself a favor by notching his first-ever playoff goal in his second career playoff game. One, the jitters are out after getting on the stat sheet, and two, any confidence that poured in from the regular season was exemplified when his blast beat Gustavsson.

"I think it's important to get that out of the way, so good for him," Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. "Real good play by Hertl all around, wins the draw, picks, releases, screens a goalie. He's done that a number of times this year, opened up plays for the guys. And Pav, I mean, he didn't miss. Even if the goalie does track the puck and get across, it might still go in. ... Happy for Pav as a young guy that has scored a lot, you don't want that to have to answer those questions as a playoff goes along, if you can help it."

MINNY MUSCLE: The Wild played an exceptionally physical game, looking to establish their presence immediately while hoping to bully the Knights. Minnesota outhit Vegas, 54-29, marking the Wild's second-highest postseason total in franchise history. The highest? That came on May 16, 2021, also against Vegas, with 71.

"Yeah, obviously, I think they were pretty physical today," Vegas forward Nic Roy said. "But we got a big team. We're not just gonna look for a number of hits. I think we're always gonna be a physical team. We're gonna win our battles. That's the most important thing. And I think the guys that have that in them to be physical are gonna be physical. And the guys that are going to make plays, are going to make plays and obviously raise their the intensity and winning their battles. It's just the way we approach it."

PLAYOFF ADIN: In his 20th career playoff appearance, and 18th start, Hill faced his second-fewest shots (20). The only time he faced fewer shots was his first-ever appearance, when he relieved Laurent Brossoit on May 6, 2023, and played just the third period. Hill has now allowed two or fewer goals in 12 of his 20 playoff games. He has a career goals-against average of 2.08 and a save percentage of .931.

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Curry leads Warriors to play-off win at Rockets

Stephen Curry dribbles the basketball
Stephen Curry (left) is a four-time NBA champion [Reuters]

Stephen Curry scored a game-high 31 points as the Golden State Warriors began their play-off campaign with a 95-85 win at the Houston Rockets.

The seventh-seeded Warriors made it successive wins in Houston, with Curry also adding six rebounds and three assists.

Jimmy Butler chipped in with a further 25 points, seven rebounds and six assists to hand Golden State a 1-0 series lead - with Game 2 scheduled for Thursday.

"Steph was incredible. He was incredible," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.

"With that type of pressure on him from [Amen] Thompson and others, he just made some amazing plays and, obviously, carried us offensively along with Jimmy."

The Rockets, seeded second in the play-offs, endured a disappointing end to the regular season with three successive defeats and have lost back-to-back games at home.

Ime Udoka's side are featuring in the play-offs for the first time since 2019-20, when they lost against the Los Angeles Lakers in the semi-finals.

"I wouldn't say the moment, I would say the physicality at times, going after guys, and just play-off basketball," Udoka said when asked if a lack of experience cost his side.

"It's not really about the moment. Going into the lane, trying to shoot over too many and not finding your outlets is a big thing and a big key for us all year."

Elsewhere, the Cleveland Cavaliers sealed a 121-100 win against the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference play-offs.

Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points with Ty Jerome adding 28 points and Darius Garland scoring 27.

Jerome, who picked up 16 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter, was making his play-off debut.