Trevor Bauer wanted to send a message on social media to those doubting him.
The controversial former major leaguer, who is now calling suburban Long Island his baseball home, threw a seven-inning no-hitter on Sunday for the Long Island Ducks in his second start for the independent league ballclub that plays in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.
After the 13-0 win over the Lancaster Stormers, Bauer took to social media.
Trevor Bauer throws during the third inning of a game against the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars in Central Islip, N.Y. on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. Heather Khalifa for NY Post
Bauer allowed just one walk while striking out seven batters on 84 pitches in the abbreviated game and became just the third player in Ducks history to throw a no-hitter.
Rod Henderson became the first to do so on May 25, 2001, against the now-defunct Atlantic City Surfand Robert Stock accomplished the feat against the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs on July 18, 2023.
The 35-year-old former Cy Young Award winner had been coming off an opening day start last week that marked his first start in the U.S. in nearly five years.
Bauer has been trying to make a major league comeback after he was suspended for 194 games in 2022 over sexual assault allegations, which he vehemently denies and was never criminally charged for.
He has spent time playing professionally in Mexico and Japan, though no MLB team has taken a chance on bringing him back to the big leagues in the United States.
In his vlog on YouTube, Bauer talked about the fan support that he had received in his first start and how he was able to pitch in America without any major negative incidents.
Trevor Bauer smiles after the first inning of a game against the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars in Central Islip, N.Y. on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. Heather Khalifa for NY Post
“I didn’t hear any negative comments. There was no protests,” Bauer said in the vlog titled, “I Joined My New Team In New York.” “Nothing blew up. There was no meteor that hit the stadium. Apparently, those fears have been massively overstated, I think. Imagine that I can pitch in America and not have massive protests and get cancelled and whatever else.”
Joel Embiid was back on the court for Philadelphia, returning from an appendectomy less than three weeks ago to give the 76ers a needed bump in a critical first-round game against Boston.
Except there was no bump. Kind of the opposite.
Philadelphia's other stars, like Tyrese Maxey, had to adjust to the big man in the paint and seemed to defer to him early on. The result was an offense that just did not work and missed a lot of shots.
Meanwhile, Boston just kept doing what they do. Pritchard scored 32 off the bench and knocked down six 3-pointers, while Jayson Tatum scored 30 with five from beyond the arc, plus he had 11 assists.
Boston led by 16 after one quarter, and its lead never touched single digits again as the Celtics cruised to a 129-96 win on the road.
The Celtics have a commanding 3-1 series lead as the series shifts back to Boston for Game 5 on Tuesday.
The 76ers are unquestionably better when Embiid is on the court, on both ends, but putting a superstar back in the lineup can mean an adjustment period. In this case, the combination of Embiid and the Celtics' defense meant Tyrese Maxey had just three shot attempts in the first half, as he seemed to defer to the big man, who had 10 (and Paul George had seven).
The 76ers also just could not buy a bucket in the first half. As a team, Philadelphia shot 12-of-36 (33.3%) and 3-of-12 from beyond the arc in the first 24 minutes, and if that wasn't enough, also gave up nine offensive rebounds to the Celtics.
The result was Boston racing out to a 21-point first-half lead and seemingly hitting every key shot.
PAYTON PRITCHARD THREE OFF ONE LEG BEFORE THE HORN AND THE CELTICS BENCH IS LOVING IT! pic.twitter.com/ArprVIFa9u
Boston was up by 18, 56-38, at halftime, led by Pritchard with 18 off the bench. The Celtics were rolling, and it proved to be too much to ask the 76ers to overcome that, especially for a 76ers defense that struggled to get a stop much of the night (Boston had a ridiculous 139.1 offensive rating through the non-garbage time part of this game, according to Cleaning the Glass).
In addition to Pritchard and Tatum, Jaylen Brown added 20 points and seven rebounds.
Embiid finished with 26 points on 9-of-21 shooting with 10 rebounds. Maxey was more assertive in the second half and finished with 22 points, and Paul George had 16.
Nick Nurse has some work to do to see if he can get these 76ers on the same page — on both ends of the court — by Tuesday, or Philadelphia's season is going to come to an end much earlier than they hoped.
BOSTON (AP) — Josh Doan had a goal and an assist during Buffalo’s four-goal first-period, and Alex Lyon stopped 21 shots to lead the Sabres to a 6-1 victory over the Boston Bruins on Sunday for a 3-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.
Peyton Krebs, Zach Benson and Bowen Byram also scored to help Buffalo open a 4-0 lead against a Boston team that needed a win at home to avoid moving to the brink of elimination. Beck Malenstyn and Alex Tuch scored 84 seconds apart in the third period to make it 6-0 and chase Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman.
The Sabres, who won the Atlantic Division to end an NHL-record 14-year playoff drought, can finish off the best-of-seven series in Game 5 on Tuesday night in Buffalo for their first playoff series win since 2007.
Krebs scored 4:17 into the game, Doan’s goal came less than three minutes later and Benson followed two minutes after that. When Byram made it 4-0 just 14:24 into the game, it was Buffalo’s second four-goal period of the series; the Sabres rallied from a 2-0 third-period deficit to win 4-3 in Game 1.
AVALANCHE 5, KINGS 1
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Nathan MacKinnon had two goals and an assist, Nicolas Roy and Devon Toews scored in the third period, and top-seeded Colorado swept Los Angeles out of the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs with a victory in Game 4.
The Slovenian center is the top scorer in franchise history and a two-time Selke Trophy winner, and he was a star on the Kings’ two Stanley Cup championship teams in 2012 and 2014 before spending the past decade as their captain. The Kings crowd repeatedly chanted “Kopi! Kopi!” in the final minutes of the blowout, and he got standing ovations when he came out for his final two shifts.
The Avalanche all greeted Kopitar warmly while he led the postgame handshake line. He then circled at center ice with his arm raised while his teammates banged their sticks on the ice for his final farewell.
With a masterful four-game demonstration of the roster-wide talent on a team ready to win it all, Colorado advanced to face the winner of the heavyweight first-round series between Dallas and Minnesota. Those clubs are tied heading to Game 5 on Tuesday, meaning the Avs will get at least five consecutive days off before the second round, and quite possibly more.
LIGHTNING 3, CANADIENS 2
MONTREAL (AP) — Brandon Hagel scored his NHL playoffs-leading fifth and sixth goals in the third period and Tampa Bay rallied to beat Montreal in Game 4 to tie the series.
After the first three games in the first-round series went to overtime, Tampa Bay overcame a two-goal deficit to end it in regulation.
Hagel gave the Lightning the lead with 4:43 left, deflecting Nikita Kucherov’s shot past Jakub Dobes.
Jake Guentzel had a goal and assist, and Kucherov added two assists on the top line with Hagel. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 16 saves.
Game 5 is Wednesday night in Tampa.
DUCKS 4, OILERS 3, OT
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Ryan Poehling scored 2:29 into overtime, and Anaheim pushed Connor McDavid and Edmonton to the brink of first-round elimination with a victory in Game 4.
Jeffrey Viel tied it with 6:29 left in regulation for the Ducks, who rallied from an early two-goal deficit and another third-period hole before taking a 3-1 series lead with their third consecutive victory over the back-to-back Western Conference champion Oilers.
The Ducks won when Poehling’s sharp-angled shot reluctantly trickled under Edmonton goalie Tristan Jarry, who had played well in his first playoff start for his new team. An extensive video review revealed no reason to overturn the judgment on the ice that the puck had barely crossed the goal line underneath Jarry’s skate.
It no secret that former Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jake Guentzel is a very good player. This was certainly the case yet again this regular season, as he scored 38 goals and set new career highs with 50 assists and 88 points in 81 games for the Tampa Bay Lightning.
So far this postseason, Guentzel is only continuing to make a big impact.
In the Lightning's 3-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens in Game 4, Guentzel scored a goal and recorded an assist. With this, the former Penguins forward now has seven points in just four games so far this postseason.
With numbers like these, it is clear that Guentzel is providing the Lightning with strong offensive production early on this postseason. It is not surprising in the slightest, as he is a star player who has stepped up big time in the playoffs before.
Guentzel will now be looking to stay hot for the Bolts as they continue their series against the Canadiens from here.
Guentzel was selected by the Penguins with the 77th overall pick of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. In 503 games over eight seasons with the Penguins, he had 219 goals, 247 assists, 466 points, and a plus-53 rating.
The Tampa Bay Lightning picked up a huge 3-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens in Game 4 of the first round. With it, they have tied the series up at 2-2 as they head back to Tampa for Game 5.
This was a hard-fought win for the Lightning, too, as they came back from a 2-0 deficit. Former Chicago Blackhawks forward Brandon Hagel was the biggest reason for the Bolts' comeback win.
Hagel scored both the game-tying and game-winning goals during the third period for the Lightning in Game 5. With this, he was the Lightning's hero in this matchup.
This was just the latest strong game from Hagel, as he is having a fantastic start to the playoffs. In four games now this series, he has six goals and seven points. He has also scored at least one goal in each game against the Canadiens, so he is stepping up big time for the Lightning.
Hagel will now be looking to stay hot for the Lightning as they prepare for Game 5.
Hagel spent three seasons with the Blackhawks from 2019-20 to 2021-22, where he had 30 goals, 31 assists, 61 points, and 102 hits.
DENVER, CO - APRIL 18: Fans of the Colorado Rockies participate in the wave during the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Saturday, April 18, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Rockies and Mets came into this series with nearly identical records: 10-16 for Colorado, 9-16 for New York.
Which… felt misleading. Like two teams arriving at the same place for completely different reasons.
Then the Rockies swept the series, and the gap in records is growing: 13-16 for Colorado, 9-19 for New York.
Same neighborhood, different direction.
Before the season, PECOTA had the Mets at 88 wins and real playoff odds. The Rockies were pegged for around 60 wins and, essentially, a long summer.
So what changed?
For the Mets, it’s not just losing — it’s the weight of it. This is a ‘World Series or bust’ roster, built with Steve Cohen money, and it hasn’t clicked. Roles feel unsettled. The fit feels off. Even snapping the 12-game losing streak didn’t stop the bigger question from hanging over everything: why isn’t this working?
When expectations are that high, losses don’t just count — they linger.
Now the Rockies feel… different. Still imperfect, still under .500, but more coherent. More competitive. There’s actual energy — call it the Goodman/Moniak/Johnston effect — where players are giving you a reason to watch beyond the standings.
The Mets have stars. The Rockies have spark.
And to be fair — Mets fans have lived through October magic, titles, and franchise icons, from the Miracle Mets of 1969 to the dominant 1986 team. They were in the NLCS as recently as 2024. The Mets history runs deeper than Colorado’s, but Rockies fans have built their own decades of memories since 1993.
Both fanbases have stuck through plenty of losing to get those moments. Nobody’s switching sides.
So here’s the question:
For the rest of this season… who would you rather be:
The fanbase watching a $350M Goliath stumble over itself?
Or the fanbase watching an underdog finally start to figure out who they are?
And looking ahead to next year and beyond?
Do you trust the stars in New York to figure it out… Or the spark in Colorado to turn into something real?
After yet another disastrous offensive performance in Game 2 of Sunday’s doubleheader against the Colorado Rockies, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza sat down at the podium for his postgame presser and, looking exhausted, sounded incredulous at what he just witnessed.
Not only did his team score one run over the course of 18 innings en route to getting swept by the Colorado Rockies at home, but hardly at any point did the offense look even remotely competitive.
“It’s hard to explain when you have that many guys that are going through it at the same time,” said a fed up Mendoza. “It’s just not a good showing, not good at-bats up and down [the lineup].
“Overall not hitting the ball hard consistently and it’s hard. Like I said, it’s hard to explain because usually you get 3-4 guys that go through it, but you got 4-5 guys that can carry you. But right now it’s hard to describe.”
Unfortunately, this is what the Mets’ offense is right now – one that’s scored one or fewer runs 10 times in 28 games to start the season and who ranks at or near the bottom in almost every offensive category.
From top to bottom, the offense has been struggling basically since that Opening Day game against Paul Skenes and the Pittsburgh Pirates where New York put up 11 runs while getting contributions up and down the lineup in a game that teased fans of what could be but now feels like an aberration.
Yes, injuries have taken their toll on the Mets who are not fully healthy at the moment, but even when most of the pieces were in place, the offense was still sputtering.
Francisco Alvarez, who has three hits in his last 20 at-bats, leads all qualified hitters on the team with a .240 average and a .760 OPS. Nobody else has an OPS above .669 and that belongs to Francisco Lindor who will be out for the foreseeable future with a calf strain.
Sure, Juan Soto is slashing .304/.418/.413 in 13 games but since returning to the lineup after missing two weeks with a calf strain of his own, he’s 3-for-15 with no RBI or runs scored. In fact, teams have resolved to not pitch to him and are making anybody else in the lineup beat them.
Right now, nobody has been able to step up to the plate.
“We all know what kind of talent we have in that lineup and what kind of hitters we have and how much damage they can do so it’s just a matter of time that they’re gonna wake up and bring the best out of themselves,” Soto said. “I know they're trying their hardest but sometimes things don’t go your way and you just gotta keep it as you are, a professional, keep your head and keep moving forward.”
After making significant changes to the roster this offseason and going from comfortable to perhaps unconventional, none of the moves have really paid dividends yet.
Bo Bichette had a nice moment on Thursday night against the Minnesota Twins with a bases-clearing double to give the Mets the lead late, but outside of that he’s been a huge disappointment after being billed as somebody who makes solid contact and hits in the clutch.
Luis Robert Jr. has followed up a torrid start with a prolonged slump, Marcus Semien went 1-for-12 against the Rockies and Jorge Polanco is on the IL.
Meanwhile, homegrown players like Brett Baty and Mark Vientos who were tasked to take another step in the right direction this season have failed to do so.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like this to be honest with you, that goes on for so long when you got so many guys struggling at the same time,” Mendoza said.
The team-wide slump, which was the biggest problem during New York’s recent 12-game losing streak, has led to uncomfortable questions surrounding the skipper with the Mets a season-worst 10 games below .500 at 9-19.
And it’s not just this year. Since June 12 of last year, the Mets are 47-74 despite being committed to winning and spending more than nearly everybody else thanks to owner Steve Cohen.
With all of that, is Mendoza concerned about his job security?
“The only thing I’m worried about here is I gotta get the guys going,” he said. “I get it. I get it. It sucks and I know the questions will continue to come up, but my job is to find a way to get those guys out of the funk. That’s the bottom line.”
How exactly Mendoza plans to do that remains to be seen because, by his own admission, he’s tried everything. So far nothing has worked.
At the end of the day, though, it’s on the players to play better.
“As players we have to perform,” Soto said while defending his skipper. “This is definitely not Mendy’s fault or David [Stearn’s] fault. They definitely put a great team together and we have to be the ones that gotta go out there and perform at the end of the day.
“I don’t think [Mendoza’s] been doing anything wrong. I think he’s been doing a great job as a manager. He’s moving the pieces and putting the pieces in the right spot, we just haven’t come through, but it’s not his fault at all.”
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 26: Payton Pritchard #11 of the Boston Celtics shoots a three point basket during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers during Round One Game Four of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 26, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 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 Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Payton Pritchard’s 32 points led the Boston Celtics to a dominant 128-96 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday night despite Joel Embiid’s return from an appendectomy.
The win gives the Celtics a commanding 3-1 lead as the series heads back to Boston for Game 5, when the C’s will have a chance to clinch an Eastern Conference Semifinals berth.
Boston had a clean bill of health for Game 4 and started Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser, Jayson Tatum and Neemias Queta.
On the other side, Joel Embiid returned to the court for the first time since April 6 and Kelly Oubre Jr., who was listed as questionable with right adductor soreness, suited up, too. They both started the game alongside Maxey, V.J. Edgecombe and Paul George.
At the start, the game was all about the centers. Neemias Queta scored the Celtics’ first 5 points on a couple dunks and a 1 of 2 trip to the free throw line. When Nikola Vučević subbed in early for him about 3 minutes into the game, Vooch scored Boston’s next 4 points.
At the same time, Embiid looked like he always does. He immediately drew a couple fouls and hit all four free throws during his first 7-minute stretch on the court. He had 8 out of the Sixers’ 10 points when he sat, as the Celtics were up by 1.
While the centers were going off, the game was clunky and nobody else could hit anything. Maxey didn’t even have a shot attempt until there were about 3 minutes left in the first quarter.
When George hit a three-pointer to put the Sixers up 13-12, the Payton Pritchard show began, as he immediately answered it with a 3 of his own, then hit another after Andre Drummond (finally!) missed a corner attempt.
Late in the first quarter, the bench went on an 8-0 run of its own. Baylor Scheierman and Jordan Walsh kept a play alive with 3 offensive rebounds off of missed shots and each hit a three-pointer. By the end of the quarter, the C’s bench had 24 points — more than the Sixers’ total 18.
Part of that bench scoring total was a ridiculous one-legged on-the-run three-pointer from Pritchard to beat the buzzer and put Boston up 34-18.
Jaylen Brown started the second quarter clearly trying to get more involved and, despite missing a pair of free throws early, he hit a corner 3 for his first made shot of the game.
Nevertheless, it wasn’t long before it was the Pritchard show again. He hit his fourth three-pointer a few minutes into the quarter, then drove into Adem Bona for a midrange score to get to 18 points — 13 more than any other Celtic at that point.
After Hauser hit a three-pointer of his own, the Celtics were up 45-24 and Xfinity Mobile Arena started getting quiet. While the Sixers started hitting shots and built up some momentum, a Luka Garza three-pointer and a Brown step back 3 over George helped maintain a solid lead.
By the end of the half, Boston was up 56-38, with Pritchard’s 18 points leading the way. No other Celtic finished with double-digit points, with Brown coming closest with 8.
Both Jays struggled shooting in the first half, with Tatum only hitting 1 of 8 shots and Brown going 3 of 9 from the field. The starters as a whole only had 24 of Boston’s 56 points.
On the other side of the court, Embiid led the Sixers with 12 points, but nobody else had more than 7 — Maxey, on only 3 field goal attempts — and the team looked far less potent than they were over the first three games of the series.
As the second half began with Pritchard on the bench, the Jays got a chance to build some rhythm and both capitalized, as Brown and Tatum quickly scored 7 points and 6 points, respectively.
While the Sixers made an effort to get Maxey more involved — an effort that resulted in a three-point make on Philly’s first possession of the third quarter — the Celtics did a good job of making his life difficult. When Maxey got a breakaway in transition, White turned on the boosters and blocked him from behind to erase an easy basket.
The rest of the Sixers offense struggled to start the half as well, especially Edgecombe, who seemed to have lost all the confidence he displayed in Game 2 after starting the night shooting 1 of 7 from the field.
With about 7 minutes to go in the third quarter, the Celtics were up by 24 points, 71-47. The Sixers started hitting some shots, but could not get stops, so the lead hovered around 20 points for the rest of the quarter.
By the end of the quarter, Brown and Tatum had 18 and 20 points, respectively, but the Pritchard show wasn’t over. He hit two more three-pointers, a tough fadeaway, a pair of late buckets and a couple free throws to finish the third with 32 points — 10 more than anyone else in the game.
By the time the fourth quarter began, the Celtics were up by 21 points and the game was all but over. Then, less than 2 minutes in, a Tatum 4-point play extended the lead to 30 and put it even further out of reach.
Another Tatum three-pointer sealed the deal with about 6 minutes left to go, and less than a minute later the Sixers called it quits and emptied the bench.
Pritchard, Boston’s undisputed MVP of the night, finished with 32 points on 57.1% shooting from the field, 6 three-pointers, 5 assists, 4 rebounds and a steal.
Tatum finished with 30 points on 50% shooting, 7 rebounds and 11 assists. Notably, after shooting 1 of 8 from the field in the first half, he shot 7 of 8 in the second half.
Brown finished with 20 points on 40% shooting, 7 rebounds and a pair of stocks.
In his return, Embiid played 34 minutes and racked up 26 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists. His playoff record against the Celtics is now 3-13.
Maxey and George put up 22 and 16 points, respectively. Edgecombe finished with only 6 points on 22.2% shooting.
Overall, the Celtics shot 48.3% from the field and 45.3% from three-point range, with 24 three-point makes, while the Sixers shot 41.3% from the field and 30% on threes.
The C’s also won the rebounding battle 51-30 and put up more shots than Philadelphia, 87-80, but finished the game with more turnovers, 12-8.
Game 5 will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 28, at TD Garden in Boston. It will be broadcast on ESPN.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 26: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics handles the ball while defended by Paul George #8 and Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers during the game during Round One Game Four of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 26, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 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 David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
As we saw in Game 1, playing poorly while missing every shot possible is a bad combination.
The Sixers got blown out again 128-96 by the Boston Celtics in Game 4 Sunday night, falling to a 3-1 series deficit.
In his first game back since appendectomy surgery, Joel Embiid looked like the only Sixer ready for this game. He finished with 26 points shooting 9-of-21 from the floor with 10 rebounds and six assists.
Tyrese Maxey was just way too passive to start the game, going for 22 points on 7-of-14 shooting with six assists. Paul George had 16 points and four rebounds going 6-of-13 from the floor.
VJ Edgecombe again didn’t have it, finishing with six points on 2-of-9 shooting. Payton Pritchard led all scorers with 32.
Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.
First Quarter
The Celtics scored their first two baskets of the game with the ball handler getting Embiid into space and finding a wide open Neemias Queta near the rim. On the other end, it took the Sixers nearly four minutes to hit their first field goal of the game, but Embiid had already forced the Celtics to go to Nik Vucevic, drawing a quick two fouls on Queta.
The Sixers really couldn’t buy a jumper to fall out of the gate. That first made field goal was a transition dunk. Embiid made their first basket in the half court as well taking Vucevic down to the post. Edgecombe was the first Sixer not named Embiid to score and that came at the 5:24 mark.
Embiid only sat for a couple minutes and yet the Sixers couldn’t survive a second of them (insert the “first time?” meme). Pritchard got lost for a couple of wide open threes before Jayson Tatum steamrolled down the lane for an open layup. Andre Drummond fouling Tatum on a three-point shot was the last straw for his shift.
It’s not like Embiid was a cure all for their problems. The Sixers surrendered four straight offensive rebounds on a single possession. This was also in the middle of a stretch where Embiid was responsible for two turnovers and an offensive foul. The Celtics ended the quarter on a 11-2 run to storm out to a 16-point lead.
Second Quarter
The Sixers continued to generate good looks that continued to clank off the rim. They kicked to Edgecombe for a wide open corner three that didn’t fall, George missed a driving floater, and Embiid missed two open midrange jumpers. There were other problems but none of them really mattered if the Sixers couldn’t put the ball in the hoop.
Nick Nurse was forced into trying both options at backup center when Drummond went down with a leg injury. He was just passing out of the post when he went down grabbing his hamstring area without much seemingly happening which is not a great sign.
Quentin Grimes following up a three with a steal and a fastbreak dunk was the first sign of life the Sixers had shown in about 10 minutes of game time. They strung together some baskets and stops to get the lead under 20 but again killed their momentum with bad mistakes. Edgecombe threw a pocket pass way over Embiid’s head, then Grimes and Embiid botched a fast break, one that Nurse challenged for some reason and lost.
Quentin Grimes with an excellent behind-the-back pass to Adem Bona who finishes at the rim over Queta pic.twitter.com/2l7I4sEqqb
After Luka Garza hit a three coming out of the challenge the Sixers closed the half well defensively. They had dug themselves such a hole though that Jaylen Brown hitting a contested stepback three felt backbreaking. The same goes for Embiid missing two of his four latest free throws and having another open midrange jumper rim out. Brown hit another tough turnaround, this time in the midrange, to keep the Celtics’ lead at 18.
Third Quarter
Another concerning part about the first half is that the Sixers got smoked with both of the Jays shooting very poor. They combined to go 4-of-16. Tatum started the second half with a midrange that became an and-1. Brown knocked down a three before doing the same. Meanwhile, the Sixers continued to shoot themselves in the foot on the other end — Maxey appeared to slow up on a fast break, giving Derrick White time to block his layup attempt.
It’s not surprising they looked like they let go of the rope with how poorly they shot. It was still jarring to see the only player show any life all night was the guy who had to have an emergency appendectomy less than three weeks ago. This stat tweeted by ESPN’s Tim Bontempts was sent out less than halfway through the third quarter.
The Sixers have missed 32 shots and don't have a single offensive rebound tonight.
Ironically, the Sixers finally had a stretch where their three-point shots were falling. Maxey had a couple fall earlier in the quarter before George and Embiid found something of a groove. The Sixers couldn’t make any progress though because of another flaw getting them in trouble — their overhelping. Pritchard was the leading scorer in the first half, and yet the Sixers continued to help off of him one pass away. The Celtics were more than happy to kick it to him and let him convert the open shots. The Sixers went into the fourth trailing by 21.
Fourth Quarter
As if things hadn’t gotten embarrassing enough, the Celtics quickly pushed their lead to 30 for the first time of the game. As Tatum was at the line finishing off a four-point play, the Celtics fans who had made the trip loudly mocked Sixers fans with “We want Boston” chants.
It seemed like the only battle left was whatever the arena could do to drown out the Celtics fans. There were two karaoke sing-a-longs during timeouts, which is two more than I remember happening at all during the regular season. The renditions of “Baby” and “A Thousand Miles” were quite loud, but not as loud as the Boston fans once the Celtics got back on the court and started draining threes again. The “We want Boston” chants rung out again as Embiid checked out for the final time.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - APRIL 26: Lane Thomas #15 of the Kansas City Royals is congratulated by teammates at home plate after hitting a walk-off game-winning home run during the bottom of the 10th inning of the game against the Los Angeles Angelsat Kauffman Stadium on April 26, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was a long day at Kauffman Stadium, but the Kansas City Royals completed the sweep, overcoming a 6-0 deficit to sweep the Angels, winning it 11-9. Lane Thomas played the hero, with the walk-off three run dinger.
Zach Neto flared the first pitch of the game into left for a single. Mike Trout followed that up with a two-run homer, just over the wall in left center.
In the top of the second, after two singles to start the inning, the Angels had first and second for former Royal Adam Frazier. After bunting two balls foul, Frazier smacked a double into the gap to make it 3-0. Neto doubled in two runs in the next at bat, 5-0 Angels. Other former Royal, Jorge Soler later singed in the final run of the inning to make it 6-0.
After Reid Detmers retired the first 10 batters, Bobby Witt Jr. tripled with one out in the fourth but would be stranded there. Nick Loftin doubled with two outs in the fifth and was driven in by an Isaac Collins single.
Lane Thomas led off the bottom of the sixth with a single and scored on Witt’s first homer of the season. A 427-foot bomb to left center field. 6-3 Angels.
Seth Lugo was very effective after the second inning but surrendered a leadoff double to Soler in the top of the 7th. Jo Adell singled him in after a groundout, 7-3 Angels. Lugo’s final line was 6.1 innings, 14 hits, 7 runs, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts. Eli Morgan got a double play ball to end the inning.
Collins led off the bottom half of the 7th with a home run off the right field foul pole. Collins second homer of the year and his first from the left side this season.
Michael Massey walked on four pitches and Lane Thomas singled on a swinging bunt to third. 7-4 LA, 1st and 2nd nobody out with Witt, Vinnie and Salvy coming up. But then the game was put into a rain delay.
After the nearly 2-hour delay, Witt hit into a fielder’s choice, making it 1st and 3rd with one out. Vinnie’s sac fly made it 7-5. But Perez grounded out to end the inning.
Nick Mears worked a 1-2-3 8th inning. The Royals got a pair of two out walks in the 8th, but Maikel Garcia fouled out to end the inning.
Alex Lange got the 9th inning. He gave up a leadoff single and a stolen base. After getting two outs, he walked Adell after a long at bat, 1st and 3rd, two out, Bryce Teodosio up. Lange allowed Adell to steal second, and then walked Teodosio, and on the play, Carter Jensen allowed a passed ball to make it 8-5. Lange then walked another, making it another bad outing for Lange. After loaded the bases with his third walk, Lange finally struck out Adam Frazier to end the inning.
The Royals had the top of the order come up in the bottom of the 9th. Lane Thomas led off, he and Witt grounded out. Pasquantino hit a two out triple, Perez singled him in and Jac Caglianone hit a game-tying two-run homer to tie it at 8.
Lucas Erceg pitched the 10th, he walked Neto to start the inning and then got Trout to hit into a fielder’s choice. But another passed ball on Jensen allowed the Angels to take a 9-8 lead. Erceg struck out the next two hitters to end the inning.
Loftin grounded out to first to start the bottom half of the inning, allowing Jensen to get to third. Collins struck out, and after a long battle, Garcia walked. 2 out, runners on the corners, Lane Thomas up. On a 3-1 pitch, Thomas hit a walk-off three run homer to left center. His first on the year, and the Royals first sweep of the year, on an 11-9 win after 5 hours at the ballpark.
The Royals improve to 11-17 on the season and go 4-2 on the homestand. They are off tomorrow and are on the way out west to take on the Athletics and Mariners next week.
Smokies pitcher Nick Dean (33) pitches during a minor league baseball game between the Knoxville Smokies and the Chattanooga Lookouts at Covenant Health Park in Knoxville, Tenn., on April 21, 2026. | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Paul Campbell gave up five runs, including a grand slam, in the first inning and two more in the third and got the loss. Campbell’s final line was seven runs on seven hits over three innings. Campbell walked three and struck out three.
Reliever Zac Leigh had an immaculate inning in the top of the ninth. Leigh pitched two scoreless innings total and allowed one hit and one walk while striking out just the three.
First baseman BJ Murray was 3 for 4 with a walk. He scored once and drove in one.
Justin Dean went 3 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored.
Pedro Ramirez left this game in the seventh inning with no apparent injury, but I-Cubs broadcaster Jason Kempf is reporting that it was purely a precaution and that Ramirez is on the bus to St. Paul.
Vince Reilly was the opener for the Smokies and got tagged for two runs on three hits in the one inning he worked. Reilly struck out one and walked no one.
Nick Dean came out in the second inning, threw four scoreless innings and got the win. Dean allowed just two hits and did not walk anyone. He struck out five.
After Frankie Scalzo Jr. threw two scoreless innings, Luis Martinez-Gomez finished the game with the two-inning save. Martinez-Gomes allowed no runs and no hits. He struck out four and walked two.
Center fielder Alex Ramírez hit a two-run home run in the third inning that put the Smokies up for good. Ramírez had a big game, going 4 for 5 with the home run and three total runs batted in.
Catcher Ariel Armas was 3 for 4 with a double and an RBI single in the eighth. He also scored once run.
Starter Ethan Flanagan made two mistakes that were turned into two solo home runs. Flanagan’s final line was two runs on four hits over four innings. He walked three and struck out three.
Kevin Valdez allowed just one unearned run and one hit over three innings of relief. He struck out one and walked one.
South Bend’s bats were silenced by a rehabbing Nick Lodolo for five innings. He allowed two hits, no walks and he struck out seven.
Third baseman Brian Halbach was 2 for 4 with a double.
Myrtle Beach Pelicans
The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were swept in a doubleheader by the Fayetteville Woodpeckers (Astros), 6-5 in ten innings in the completion of Sunday’s game and 6-2.
Mason McGwire started game one yesterday before the rains came. His first pitch was smashed over the right field wall. He retired the next six batters he faced, striking out three of them.
The Pelicans led 5-1 when the game was suspended in the middle of the third inning. Hayden Frank started today and tossed four scoreless, giving up just three hits. Frank struck out four, walked one and struck out four.
Things went south when Luis A. Reyes came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and he coughed up the lead, allowing four runs on two hits and two walks. One of those hits was a two-run home run. Reyes struck out two.
Braylon Myers relieved Reyes and retired the side in order in the eighth and ninth innings. But after the Pelicans failed to score in the top of the tenth, he allowed a leadoff single in the tenth to end the game.
The final line on Myers was one unearned run on one hit. He struck out one.
First baseman Josiah Hartshorn hit a three-run home run in the third inning on Saturday before the rains came. It was his third home run of the season. Hartshorn was 1 for 4 with two runs scored.
Shortstop Alexis Hernandez went 1 for 4 with a walk and two steals. He scored twice.
— Myrtle Beach Pelicans (@Pelicanbaseball) April 25, 2026
Some Mason McGwire highlights.
It is not looking good for Myrtle Beach to continue tonight even though they have a 5–1 lead over Fayetteville as it’s going to be raining a while. Mason McGwire started and gave up a lead off home run, but then struck out three batters over the next two innings. pic.twitter.com/UMaJK17mz6
Dominick Reid started game two today and got the loss after surrendering five runs on seven hits over three innings. One of the five runs was unearned. Reid struck out five and walked one.
Shortstop Ty Southisene tripled and scored on a balk in the top of the seventh. He was 1 for 3 and was hit by a pitch.
After Kodai Sengastruggled for a third consecutive start, failing to get out of the third inning of the Mets' 3-0 loss in the second game of Sunday’s doubleheader, the right-hander’s role with the club is up in the air.
“I’m gonna have a conversation with David [Stearns], see what’s next,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “But, obviously, it’s not good enough.”
Senga allowed three runs on three hits and three walks and hit a batter in 2.2 innings, pushing his ERA to 9.00 and WHIP to 1.950 through 20 innings on the year.
“These past few games, I am not able to do my role as a starting pitcher, giving up runs early in the game,” Senga said, speaking through an interpreter, after New York dropped a third straight to Colorado.
“Like I said, we just got done, but I’m pretty sure we’re gonna have conversations. What are the options here?” Mendoza said.
"I don’t know what’s gonna come,” Senga said when asked about his future. “But I know that the performance out on the field isn’t something where I can be like, ‘Oh, I’m gonna be in the rotation or this, and that is gonna happen.’ I don’t know what’s gonna happen.”
Asked if he would accept an assignment to Triple-A, Senga said, “I think that warrants a lot of discussions with a lot of different people. I can’t give you a yes or a no answer right now.”
An issue that could limit the Mets’ options with Senga and prevent him from moving to the bullpen is his rather regimented routine to build up to be ready to pitch and that could be difficult to translate to being in the bullpen. Asked if his routine could adapt to coming on in relief, he said, “I’ve done it in the past, so I don’t think that’s an issue.”
Senga, who had a decent start to the season – allowing four runs on nine hits over 11.2 innings with 16 strikeouts to five walks – after a solid spring training, said it is a mechanical issue rather than a mental one to explain his recent struggles.
Mendoza pointed to a “combination of a lot of things” to explain the right-hander’s recent struggles, but pointed to Senga losing velocity on his four-seam fastball as the main culprit.
During the spring, Senga was throwing the ball hard and in his first start of the year in St. Louis he posted an average fastball velocity of 97.4 mph, which was up 2.7 mph from his average velocity last season.
“We saw when he’s at his best, it’s 97 [mph] plus,” Mendoza said of the heater. “Today we saw a lot of 95, 96.”
Of course, Senga was effective in years past with his fastball at a bit lower velocity. Mendoza said there have been recent outings where there have been “too much nibbling with the cutter, with the sweeper as opposed to staying on the attack.”
That was an issue for Senga during his last outing in Chicago when he allowed seven runs (six earned) on six hits over 3.1 innings with three strikeouts and three walks. That wasn't the case on Sunday afternoon as he pumped in mostly forkballs and fastballs through the first two frames, as those two pitches accounted for 32 of his first 34 offerings.
“Today they got him on some of the fastballs that he threw,” Mendoza said.
On Sunday, Senga averaged 95.1 mph on his 30 four-seam fastballs, which was down 1.2 mph from his season average. And notably, the big hit came when Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman took a good low-and-away 94.4 mph fastball and smacked it 390 feet, 104.9 mph off the bat the other way to right-center for a two-run home run in the third inning.
“When the pitches don’t have as much life approaching the hitter, approaching the catcher, with how high the level this league is, that’s just how the results end up being,” Senga said of his struggles.
The Phoenix Suns should be satisfied with their season.
After effectively resetting the franchise in the offseason, they still found their way into the playoffs... and being swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder is nothing to be ashamed about.
My Thunder vs. Suns predictions expect a sweep, one that featured Dillon Brooks because Oklahoma City has wanted it that way.
Thus, the Suns’ franchise cornerstone hasn't taken more than 17 shots in a game, while Brooks has attempted at least 21 in each, totaling 19 more shots than Booker.
The Thunder’s defensive plan has worked. Brooks has averaged 27 points while Oklahoma City has cruised in each game
Booker found some playmaking in Game 3, with his seven assists keeping things nominally close for a while. Those assists again, along with Phoenix’s last gasp, should keep this tight into halftime.
However, let’s all acknowledge what is coming for the Suns: time in the sun.
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HOUSTON — Lakers star guard Austin Reaves was downgraded from questionable to out for Sunday’s Game 4 against the Rockets at Toyota Center.
Reaves has been sidelined since suffering a Grade 2 left oblique strain, an injury that typically comes with a four- to six-week recovery timeline.
The Lakers’ Austin Reaves won’t play Sunday against the Rockets. NBAE via Getty Images
The fifth-year guard, along with fellow star guard Luka Doncic (Grade 2 left hamstring strain), suffered the regular-season-ending injuries during the April 2 loss to the Thunder.
He and Doncic missed the final five games of the regular season with their respective injuries.
Reaves was listed as questionable for Friday’s Game 3 before being downgraded to out. Doncic also was ruled out of Game 4. NBAE via Getty Images
Reaves was listed as questionable for Friday’s Game 3 before being downgraded to out.
“Austin and I had a conversation yesterday for a long time, and I think ultimately the athlete has to feel confidence,” Coach JJ Redick said on Sunday. “And that’s always the final hurdle coming back from an injury, is the psychological component of it.”
Doncic also was ruled out of Game 4.
He averaged a career-high 23.3 points to go with 5.5 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals in a career-low 51 regular-season games after also missing significant time in December and January because of a calf strain.
Reaves has a $14.9 million player option for 2026-27 that he’s expected to decline, making him an unrestricted free agent this offseason with the expectation of a significant pay raise.
The Lakers entered Sunday up 3-0 in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Rockets.
The Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets have now played each other 32 times over the last four seasons, splitting two previous playoff series.
My Timberwolves vs. Nuggets predictions and NBA picks expect the greatest antagonist in this rivalry to rise once more in Game 5 on Monday, April 27.
Timberwolves vs Nuggets prediction
Timberwolves vs Nuggets best bet: Jaden McDaniels Over 16.5 points (-115)
Despite leading this series 3-1, the Minnesota Timberwolves are only listed at -150 to win it at bet365.
Surely, they have a much better chance than 60%, right? They just won three straight games, snapping the Denver Nuggets’ 13-game winning streak.
Nope, these are the worries when your franchise cornerstone goes down with an injury to his good knee. Without Anthony Edwards — and Donte DiVincenzo — Minnesota suddenly has much to still worry about.
Enter Jaden McDaniels. The Timberwolves’ wing has angered and humiliated the Nuggets in every way.
First, McDaniels pointed out how poor they are defensively after Game 2. Then he backed it up by scoring 20 points on just 13 shots in Game 3.
To outdo himself, McDaniels capped Game 4 with a last-second layup that drew all of Denver’s remaining ire, which had somehow been absent for about 24 minutes in the second half.
McDaniels’s deep shooting has been a liability of late — 1-for-11 from beyond the arc in this series and 2-for-19 in his last six games — but when Edwards is sidelined, the sixth-year wing tends to dial up his offense.
McDaniels averaged 18.7 points in 16 games without Edwards this season, compared to 13.8 in 57 games alongside Edwards. He takes 3.6 more shots per game with Edwards sidelined, including an average of one additional 3-pointer.
These are the reasons McDaniels has topped this prop in 10 of those 16 games without Edwards, with two of those exceptions falling short by only the hook.
McDaniels should emphasize his mid-range game to once again expose the Nuggets’ defensive weaknesses.
Timberwolves vs Nuggets same-game parlay
The Timberwolves should run in Edwards’s absence. McDaniels, Bones Hyland, and Ayo Dosunmu will have much of the duty getting the ball up the court, and they will never turn down a chance to push the pace.
Those transition opportunities will help McDaniels score without living beyond the arc, where he has scuffled to a 10.5% showing in his last six games. Those opportunities will also create easy assist chances, and he already averages 3.2 assists without Edwards compared to 2.6 with the shooting guard in the lineup.
Timberwolves vs Nuggets SGP
Jaden McDaniels Over 16.5 points
Jaden McDaniels Under 1.5 threes
Jaden McDaniels Over 2.5 assists
Our "from downtown" SGP: Wearing Out Jokic
Know who will despise the Timberwolves’ escalated pace without Anthony Edwards? Nuggets’ star Nikola Jokic.
He already looks exhausted. One might wonder if his temper tantrum at the end of Game 4 was in part the result of shoddy judgment thanks to fatigue.
Jokic will struggle to get up and down the court with Hyland, Dosunmu, and McDaniels — and their pace will only further sap his legs.
Denver has fallen short of its team total in every game of this series. Find more NBA betting trends for Timberwolves vs. Nuggets.
How to watch Timberwolves vs Nuggets Game 5
Location
Ball Arena, Denver, CO
Date
Monday, April 27, 2026
Tip-off
10:30 p.m. ET
TV
NBC
Timberwolves vs Nuggets latest injuries
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