PHOENIX, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 18: Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns handles the ball against Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors during the first half of the NBA game at Mortgage Matchup Center on December 18, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. 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 Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We don’t know if the Golden State Warriors season will extend beyond Wednesday. The Dubs face an uphill battle in the first round of the play-in tournament, as they have to go on the road to beat an LA Clippers team that has been finding a groove late in the season.
But if the Warriors do win that game, which is at 7:00 p.m. PT on Prime Video, then we now know who they’ll face next: the Phoenix Suns.
The first play-in tournament games took place on Tuesday, and in the Western Conference the No. 8 Portland Trail Blazers beat the No. 7 Phoenix Suns 114-110. With that, the Blazers advance to the playoffs as the West’s seventh seed, and will have a first-round showdown with Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs.
As for the Suns, they’ll now enter a win-or-go-home situation. On Friday night, at 7:00 p.m. PT on Prime Video, Phoenix will host the winner of the Warriors vs. Clippers game.
That’s the more favorable matchup for the Warriors, who went 1-3 against the Blazers in the regular season, and have struggled with Portland’s athleticism over the last few years. The Dubs did much better against the Suns, winning three of four regular season games. Phoenix has also been struggling down the stretch, so it’s a matchup Golden State would likely feel pretty good about should they advance.
But first, the Warriors have to beat the Clippers. Only after doing that can they focus on beating the Suns … which would earn them the eighth seed in the West, and a date with the defending-champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
PHOENIX — Deni Avdija showed he’s got a little bit of the clutch gene in his initial foray into postseason basketball.
The first-time All-Star followed a breakout regular season with a fantastic all-around performance in Tuesday’s NBA play-in tournament, scoring 41 points to lead the Portland TrailBlazers over the Phoenix Suns for a 114-110 win to clinch the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
The Blazers are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2021 after clawing back from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter. They’ll face the No. 2 seed San Antonio Spurs in the first round.
“It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me in my career so far,” Avdija said.
The 25-year-old Avdija had never played in the NBA’s postseason until Tuesday — toiling for more than five years on mediocre teams in Washington and Portland — but looked comfortable on the bigger stage. He had the winning three-point play with 16.1 seconds left, scoring on a physical take to the rim while being fouled and then converting the free throw.
Blazers guard Jrue Holiday — a two-time NBA champion with Milwaukee and Boston — was impressed with Avdija’s composure. He shot 15 of 22 from the field while adding 12 assists and seven rebounds.
Holiday said the best part of Avdija’s performance was it was “kind of an off night.”
“I feel like he’s unique. Nobody does what he does,” Holiday said. “Deni coming out here, carrying us, especially down the stretch, getting that winning bucket and being able to go home knowing we’re playing San Antonio is something you love to see in Deni because this is what we expect from him now.”
Deni Avdija, who scored 41 points, celebrates during the Trail Blazers 114-110 win over the Suns on April 14, 2026 in Phoenix. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Avdija and the rest of the young Blazers kept their cool during a physical game that featured plenty of hard fouls. Holiday finished with 21 points and Jerami Grant returned from a calf injury to score 16.
“I think back to the beginning of the season, we weren’t very disciplined at staying together and finishing games,” Avdija said. “I feel like we showed character today. We showed growth, we showed character, we showed we were capable of keeping our composure and making winning plays.”
Blazers coach Tiago Splitter agreed that Avdija didn’t have his best night despite the big numbers. He said the 6-foot-8 forward’s next test will be facing a Spurs team that will throw different looks at him on defense in a playoff series.
If Tuesday night was any indication, he’ll be just fine.
“He just kept going, kept believing in himself,” Splitter said. “Scored a couple buckets at the end there. A little bit of what he did the whole season, played 38 minutes, had the ball a lot and decided the game.”
With the Mets riding a six-game losing streak and struggling to produce runs, Francisco Lindor's leadoff home run on Tuesday night against Los Angeles Dodgers star Yoshinobu Yamamoto provided a glimmer of hope for what could be a breakout game for the offense.
The Mets are now 7-11 on the year after starting 7-4 and have scored more than two runs just once (11-6 loss to Athletics on April 11) during their skid. After the game, Lindor was asked if the team is feeling desperate to get back in the win column, saying they understand the current urgency level and believe it can turn around.
"The desperation level? The urgency level is really high," Lindor said. "I don't think no one here is desperate, but we understand we have to win; it's a must-win. We're not going to sit here and just say, 'We'll get 'em, we'll get 'em, we'll get 'em.' It's everybody here has a sense of urgency and we're all trying to win. It's just a matter of time; we have to get it done.
"We're still in the middle of April and we have the opportunity to finish the month on the positive side. Everyone here understands that the task is winning and we're all going for it."
Lindor accounted for two of the team's four hits against Yamamoto, finishing the game 2-for-4 with the HR (his first of the year and his first RBI) and a strikeout. He was asked if it's been challenging for the group not to be pressing at the plate while they've been struggling, reminding everyone that you need to have a short memory in baseball, whether the result has been good or bad.
"It's human nature to get mad, to get frustrated, to say, 'You know what, this has got to end,' it's human nature," Lindor said. "But, in baseball, you get an opportunity the next day. So you got to learn from it, you got to turn the page as quick as you can and come back tomorrow.
"Tomorrow we face [Shohei] Ohtani. You can't just sit here and dwell on it for a very long time. We got to come back tomorrow and face another ace. That's it. Bottom line: when you win, short-term memory; when you lose, short-term memory as well."
Lindor noted he felt the intensity of the team's at-bats was improved compared to previous games. He knows they'll need to carry the same approach against Ohtani on Wednesday, but it'll be quite the challenge, as the reigning two-time NL MVP is 1-0 over two starts (12.0 IP) with a 0.00 ERA and 0.75 WHIP this season.
"It felt like just the conversations, the engagements, and felt like every at-bat we were going to get a hit," Lindor said. "Alvy [Francisco Alvarez] took great at-bats, took good pitches. We took good pitches, you know, Yamamoto was throwing splits 92 miles per hour and executing the location.
"It's one of those where as the game goes on, you see the at-bats, you see the way guys take pitches. It looked really good. Hats off to Yamamoto. Tomorrow we got to bring it again."
The Vancouver Canucks wrapped up their 2025-26 home schedule with a 4-3 overtime victory over the Los Angeles Kings. DeBrusk scored twice, including the overtime winner, while Zeev Buium and defenceman Elias Pettersson also found the back of the net. As for Kevin Lankinen, he was solid in net as he stopped 31 of the 34 shots he faced.
Vancouver rewarded the home crowd on Fan Appreciation Night as they picked up just their ninth victory at Rogers Arena this season. Overall, the game featured some excitement and ended with a special moment as the entire Canucks team shook Anže Kopitar's hand for the final time in his NHL career. In what has been a frustrating and disappointing campaign, Tuesday's victory was a hard-fought victory that also extended Vancouver's current win streak to three games.
"Well, I'm glad the fans saw a great game," said Adam Foote post-game. "But you know, we just went out, the guys are feeling good about themselves and playing as a team. As you saw again, fighting for each other. You know that was a big game for LA to get, trying to get the home ice and potentially not play, you know who. Well, you guys saw what I liked."
As for DeBrusk, he spoke about the challenges at home this season, saying, "It's been a tough go, especially for the fans. I think that the biggest thing I've noticed is how seats are still pretty much packed, and it's a good crowd every single night. So, you know, it's a small consolation, but especially on fan appreciation night. Guys are talking about it. It is on our minds. And obviously it went the distance, so it was nice to get that one and hear the crowd for the last time this year.
The Canucks were able to skate away with a win largely thanks to Lankinen's play. He stopped all 13 of 15 shots he faced in the second before going a perfect 15-for-15 in the third. With the win, Lankinen also pushes his personal win streak to three games as he picked up his 91st career victory.
One player who deserves some praise for his performance is Aatu Räty. The 23-year-old was dominant in the faceoff dot, as he went 17 for 21 on the night. Räty's ability to win draws virtually anywhere ice has become a useful skill that should help him secure a full-time spot next season.
In the end, Tuesday was a successful night for the organization. The victory featured some impressive performances from young players as well as a rare win at Rogers Arena. Tuesday was also another example of the new culture within the group, as players continued to stand up for one another.
Apr 14, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Zeev Buium (24) scores on Los Angeles Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper (35) as forward Jake DeBrusk (74) battles with defenseman Brian Dumoulin (2) in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Stats and Facts:
Filip Hronek wins 2025-26 Cyclone Taylor Trophy
Filip Hronek wins 2025-26 Walter (Babe) Pratt Trophy
Zeev Buium wins 2025-26 Pavel Bure Award
Drew O'Connor wins 2025-26 Fred J. Hume Award
Scoring Summary:
1st Period:
9:21- VAN: Elias Pettersson (3) from Kirill Kudryavtsev and Marco Rossi 17:15- LAK: Quinton Byfield (23) from Alex Laferriere and Trevor Moore
2nd Period:
00:52- VAN: Jake DeBrusk (22) from Brock Boeser and Filip Hronek (PPG) 1:04- LAK: Adrian Kempe (36) from Anže Kopitar and Artemi Panarin 2:17- LAK: Alex Laferriere (21) from Drew Doughty and Quinton Byfield 9:20- VAN: Zeev Buium (6) from Nils Höglander and Elias Pettersson
3rd Period:
No Scoring
Overtime:
2:58- VAN: Jake DeBrusk (23) from Elias Pettersson and Tom Willander
Up Next:
The Canucks will wrap up their season on Thursday against the Edmonton Oilers. This season, Vancouver has beaten Edmonton just once in three attempts. Game time is scheduled for 6:00 pm PT.
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Nolan McLean continues to impress with every outing, but Tuesday night's matchup against the defending World Series champion Dodgers was arguably his best start yet.
Going up against Yoshinobu Yamamoto, McLean held the vaunted Dodgers offense to just one run on two hits across seven innings while striking out eight. Unfortunately for the Mets, Yamamoto held their lineup to just one run on four hits before the Dodgers lineup scratched a run across on New York's bullpen to pull out the 2-1 win.
"They were both awesome," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said of the pitcher's duel. "Yamamoto was pretty nasty, but Nolan was pretty nasty too. They went head-to-head. It was inning after inning, batter after batter, pitch after pitch. They made it tough on hitters. Sucks losing that one, especially when you get that type of outing. But they were both on their game today."
It's tough for any pitcher to pitch on the road in Los Angeles, let alone against a lineup that features Shohei Ohtani among other future Hall of Famers, but the moment wasn't too big for McLean.
The 24-year-old has been lauded for his even-keel demeanor and competitiveness since he was called up late last year and that shone through on Tuesday. McLean was asked about whether he had some "extra juice" pitching against the Dodgers, and the right-hander made it seem like any other start.
"Maybe a little bit, but like I’ve said before, I try to treat every start the same, no matter who's standing in the box or where I’m at," McLean said after the game. "I just want to win every time I go out there. I grew up a baseball fan, and getting to watch some of these guys on TV growing up, it’s cool to compete against them."
And compete he did.
The only run the Dodgers scored off of McLean came in the first inning, but not off a home run or extra-base hit, but on a groundout.
After Francisco Lindor gave McLean and the Mets the early 1-0 lead on a leadoff homer, the Dodgers scratched across the tying run in the first. A one-out walk to Kyle Tucker came back to bite McLean after Will Smith doubled to put him in scoring position and Freddie Freeman's dribbler allowed Tucker to scamper home. The Dodgers wouldn't get close to scoring a run again off McLean.
"Outside of the walk in the first inning, I felt like I filled the zone up and was attacking guys," McLean explained. "Once I got it to two strikes, it was much easier to pitch with two strikes than behind in the count. I was comfortable getting there and I was happy with the way I was getting two strikes."
That emphasis on throwing first-pitch strikes helped McLean pitch seven innings for just the third time in his career, including Tuesday. It's the first time he's done it this season.
McLean says that whether hitters put the ball in play or get a strike called on the first pitch he throws, they are both wins for him, so it's worth it to use his fastball to get ahead in counts. Of the 95 pitches he threw, 49 of them were either the four-seam or sinker (51 percent), and 37 of his 68 strikes were from those two pitches.
And once he got ahead, McLean used any of his six pitches to get the Dodgers bats out.
"Not only on Shohei, but some of their hitters [like] Freddie Freeman... that first at-bat and some of the swings he was taking, he pretty much dominated one of the best lineups in the league," Mendoza said. "That goes to show you how good of a pitcher Nolan is when he’s at his best. And today was one of those nights."
And the Mets needed McLean at his best. Although they outhit the Dodgers, the Mets could only push across one run and didn't capitalize on opportunities like in the eighth when Yamamoto was out of the game and they had runners on second and third and two outs.
Over the last seven games (all losses), the Mets have scored a combined 10 runs.
"He kept us in the game. He did a really good job," Lindor said of McLean's outing. "Gave us quick innings, chances for us to score. Gave us the momentum and we didn’t capitalize on it. It’s one of those where you wish you got it done for him. He pitched his butt off today. Even though he gave us momentum every single inning. We gotta do our best to win games like this."
The Mets will look to snap their losing streak without McLean on the mound when they take on Ohtani and the Dodgers in the final game of their three-game set on Wednesday.
Two cases rocked the football industry this week, one your typical footy folderol that everyone hyperventilates over for several days, the other an incident that cut to the core of a league trying to effect serious cultural change. In both instances, all parties professed absolute certainty in their version of events.
First, to the relatively trivial matter, where umpire Nick Foot alleged that Port Adelaide’s Zak Butters abused him by asking: “How much are they paying you?” Complicating matters was the fact that the senior umpire, and I can’t believe I’m typing this, also moonlights as a betting analyst for Sportsbet. All parties brooked no doubt as to what had happened. Foot was “100% adamant” he was insulted. Butters was “100% sure” he wasn’t. Ollie Wines was “100% confident” it didn’t happen.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — LaMelo Ball made a layup with 4.7 seconds left in overtime, Miles Bridges blocked Davion Mitchell’s attempt at a winning layup at the buzzer, and the Charlotte Hornets beat Miami 127-126 in a wild start to the NBA’s play-in games, eliminating the Heat from the playoffs on Tuesday night.
Ball finished with 30 points and 10 assists and Bridges had 28 points and nine rebounds as the Hornets won their first postseason home game in a decade. Coby White had 19 points, including a turnaround 3 with 10.8 second left in regulation to send the game to OT.
Mitchell scored 28 points and Andrew Wiggins added 27 for the Heat, who lost Bam Adebayo to a lower back injury when Ball tripped him in the second quarter.
The Hornets will travel to face the loser of Wednesday’s matchup between Philadelphia and Orlando on Friday night for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Charlotte is seeking its first playoff appearance in a decade.
TRAIL BLAZERS 114, SUNS 110
PHOENIX (AP) — Deni Avdija scored 41 points — including a go-ahead 3-point play with 16.1 seconds left — and Portland clawed back from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat Phoenix in the NBA’s play-in tournament.
Jordan Goodwin drove for a layup to give the Suns a 110-109 lead with 32 seconds left, but Avdija, who also had 12 assists, responded with a physical take to the rim, making a layup while getting fouled and made the free throw for a 112-110 lead.
The Suns had a chance to go back ahead but Jalen Green’s 3-pointer was off the mark. Goodwin grabbed the offensive rebound but was stripped by Matisse Thybulle to seal the win for the Blazers.
Portland earned the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference playoffs and will face the San Antonio Spurs in the first round. The Suns will host the winner of the Clippers-Warriors game on Friday. Whoever wins will earn the No. 8 seed and face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the playoffs. The loser’s season is over.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 14: Michael King #34 of the San Diego Padres pitches during the first inning of a game against the Seattle Mariners at Petco Park on April 14, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
No one expected a high scoring game when the San Diego Padres hosted the Seattle Mariners for the first game of a three-game series at Petco Park on Thursday. Michael King was on the mound for the Padres and Bryan Woo was pitching for the Mariners so both offenses knew opportunities to score would be limited. In the end, it was the San Diego lineup that made the most of the success it had against Woo, which resulted in a 4-1 win over Seattle.
King and Woo battled back-and-forth through the sixth inning, but it was the Mariners who would allow their starter to pitch into the seventh inning. The Padres had a 3-1 lead after six innings and the bullpen was set and ready to follow the winning blueprint with Adrian Morejon handling the seventh inning, Jason Adam taking the eighth inning and Mason Miller closing in the ninth to take earn their sixth win in as many games.
The San Diego offense got to Woo in the bottom of the third inning after King allowed a run in the top of the second. With Seattle leading 1-0, Ramon Laureano hit a one-out triple off the base of the wall in right field. He scored one batter later when Fernando Tatis Jr. singled up the middle to ties the game, 1-1. Jackson Merrill followed with another single to move Tatis Jr. to third. The Padres had runners on the corners with two outs after Manny Machado popped out for the second out of the inning.
Merrill stole second base to put runners at second and third for Xander Bogaerts, who came through once again with a big hit. Bogaerts singled to center field which allowed Tatis Jr. and Merrill to score to give San Diego a 3-1 lead. Gavin Sheets followed with a flyout to shortstop to end the inning, but the Padres had a lead they would not relinquish.
San Diego tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth inning after Merrill doubled to start the inning off Seattle reliever Casey Legumina. Machado hit a deep flyball out to left field, which allowed Merrill to move to third base. Bogaerts came through once again with his third RBI of the game which came on a single to right field to give the Padres a 4-1 lead. Miller trotted into the game from the bullpen in the top of the ninth and recorded outs against all three Mariners he faced.
King finished his day on the mound after allowing one run on four hits through six innings. He also recorded five strikeouts and allowed just two walks. Woo was taken out of the game after completing seven innings. He allowed three runs on eight hits with one walk and three strikeouts.
Merrill and Bogaerts led the offense for the Padres with three hits each. Merrill scored two runs and Bogaerts recorded three RBI.
San Diego plays the second game of the series against Seattle on Wednesday at 6:40 p.m.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Jake DeBrusk scored his second goal of the game in overtime and the Vancouver Canucks beat the Los Angeles Kings 4-3 on Tuesday night.
DeBrusk collected a pass from center Elias Pettersson and tapped a shot in to seal the victory 2:58 into the extra period.
Defenseman Elias Pettersson opened the scoring for the Canucks (25-48-8), and DeBrusk and Zeev Buium added goals in the second period. Elias Pettersson had two assists. The Canucks won their third straight game for the first time since Dec. 14-20, when they took four straight road victories.
Kevin Lankinen stopped 31 of the 34 shots he faced as Vancouver improved to 9-27-5 on home ice this season.
Quinton Byfield and Alex Laferriere each had a goal and an assist for the Kings (35-26-20). Adrian Kempe scored his 36th of the season and Darcy Kuemper made 21 saves.
DeBrusk scored for a third straight game. His three goals across the stretch came on the power play. The 29-year-old winger has scored 19 of his 23 goals with the man advantage this season.
Anze Kopitar played his final game at Rogers Arena and registered an assist on Kempe’s second-period goal. He has 864 career assists, all with L.A. That ranks third among active players with a single franchise, trailing only the Penguins’ Evgeni Malkin (874) and Sidney Crosby (1,107).
The Kings have secured a playoff berth and remain in the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot with one regular-season game remaining.
The Kings had their five-game winning streak halted. Los Angeles did earn a point for the eighth straight game (6-0-2).
PHOENIX (AP) — Deni Avdija scored 41 points — including a go-ahead 3-point play with 16.1 seconds left — and the Portland Trail Blazers clawed back from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the Phoenix Suns 114-110 in the NBA’s play-in tournament on Tuesday night.
Jordan Goodwin drove for a layup to give the Suns a 110-109 lead with 32 seconds left, but Avdija, who also had 12 assists, responded with a physical take to the rim, making a layup while getting fouled and made the free throw for a 112-110 lead.
The Suns had a chance to go back ahead but Jalen Green’s 3-pointer was off the mark. Goodwin grabbed the offensive rebound but was stripped by Matisse Thybulle to seal the win for the Blazers.
Portland earned the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference playoffs and will face the San Antonio Spurs in the first round. The Suns will host the winner of the Clippers-Warriors game on Friday. Whoever wins will earn the No. 8 seed and face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the playoffs. The loser’s season is over.
The final few minutes were white-knuckle basketball with the lead changing several times.
Jerami Grant — who returned after missing the final seven games of the regular season because of a calf injury — made a corner 3-pointer to give the Trail Blazers a 107-106 lead with 1:54 left. Devin Booker responded with a pair of free throws for a 108-107 lead but Avdija made a finger roll at the rim for a 109-108 lead with 37.3 seconds left.
Green led the Suns with 35 points. Booker had 22.
The Blazers led 83-82 going into the fourth despite shooting just 1 of 11 on 3-pointers in the third quarter. Phoenix pushed to its first lead of the second half when Green made a jumper on the opening possession of the fourth.
It was the start of an 11-0 run that gave the Suns a 93-83 advantage. Royce O’Neale’s steal and 3-pointer put Phoenix ahead 98-87 lead with 7:13 remaining, but that’s when the Blazers started their comeback.
The Suns led 33-31 after one quarter, but the Trail Blazers pushed to a 55-41 advantage by midway through the second. Phoenix bounced back to cut the deficit to 65-62 at the break after Green completed a four-point play — hitting a 3 while being fouled — with one second remaining.
PHOENIX, AZ - APRIL 14: Deni Avdija #8 of the Portland Trail Blazers drives to the basket during the game against the Phoenix Suns during the 2026 SoFi Play-In Tournament on April 14, 2026 at PHX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. 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 Kate Frese/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Phoenix Suns lost to the Portland Trailblazers 114-110 Tuesday night in the 7/8 play-in game. The Suns were down as much as 14, but stormed back to take an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter, but allowed Deni Avdija and company to close it late. Avdija led all scorers with 41. Jalen Green led the Suns with 35.
After spending nearly the entirety of the season in the seventh seed, the Suns will not be ending it there. A disappointing outcome considering how consistently they held the position and the gap that they held in the standings from the eighth seed. Portland will now face the two-seeded San Antonio Spurs
Awaiting the results of the Clippers/Warriors game tomorrow night, the Suns’ season comes down to Friday night, where with a win they’ll play the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round as the eighth seed, and with a loss, their surprising season comes to an end.
Game Flow
First Half
Phoenix struck first, getting Scoot Henderson into early foul trouble and taking an 8-2 lead. The two teams traded baskets early on, as both teams played at a fast pace with the Mortgage Matchup Center roaring. Phoenix started the game 9/11 from the field with Jalen Green leading the attack with 10 points on 4/4 shooting. Considering his experience in big playoff and Olympic games, it was no surprise to see Jrue Holiday get off to a strong start for Portland, he had 11 points in the first eight minutes.
After one, the Suns led 33-31. Devin Booker and Green had 2/3rds of the team’s points.
Deni Avdija started to get it going and spearheaded the Blazer’s 12-2 run to start the second, giving them their first lead of the game and forcing Phoenix into a timeout. After the timeout, Devin Booker re-entered the game and his hot start continued, scoring a quick two baskets, but the Blazers matched his scoring and extended their lead to double digits. What wasn’t helping the Suns was their inability to hit threes; the team went nearly 21 minutes to make their first triple, while Portland already had 10 by the 5:22 mark.
Being down as much as 14, Phoenix stormed back by the end of half and trailed 65-62 thanks mainly to Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and Jordan Goodwin. Jalen Green completed a huge four-point play with a second left in the half to give Phoenix the momentum heading into the break. Phoenix hit four triples in the final 3:11 of the first half after hitting none in the first 20:49.
The Blazers started the third on a 10-2 run, and Phoenix went cold as Portland built a lead. With Booker on the bench with four fouls, others needed to step up for the Suns if they wanted to get back in the game, and a few triples got the Suns within seven.
As the game went on, both teams played with more physicality. Bodies were flying all over the court, fouls got harder, and the game slowed down. Booker returning to the game helped increase that flow as the Suns cut into the lead, and for the first time since early in the quarter, Phoenix cut the lead to three with 38 seconds left. A 13-4 run had the team down 83-82 heading into the fourth.
Phoenix started the fourth flying, Green hit two quick baskets, and Brooks had a steal and score that forced a Portland timeout. The Suns stayed hot after the break, taking their first double-digit lead of the game and starting the final quarter on an 11-0 run. The only thing the Suns did wrong to start the fourth was that the Blazers got into the bonus less than four minutes into the frame.
Up as much as 11, Portland went on an 8-0 run and cut the game to a single-possession contest with 4:14 left. Thanks to a flagrant foul by Donovan Clingan and a Jalen Green three, the Suns added some cushion to their lead, just for Portland to crawl right back with Devin Booker picking up his fifth foul in the process.
The final minutes of the game were intense, to say the least. Both teams went back and forth with the lead, but the Blazers got the last word. Deni Avdija’s and-one gave Portland the lead in the final seconds and they didn’t relinquish it.
Up Next
The Suns will host the winner of the Clippers/Warriors game on Friday night. In a win-or-go-home game, Phoenix’s playoff lives will be on the line.
The Los Angeles Kings (35-26-20) come up short against the Vancouver Canucks (25-48-8) after giving everything they had on the road; the home team capitalizes in overtime to stun the Kings' hopes of capturing home-ice advantage in the postseason.
LA was fighting all night in this game from start to finish, trying to bury the Canucks, who had nothing to play for, but defensive lapses, struggles to win key faceoffs, and poor defensive zone coverage cost the Kings a 4-3 overtime loss.
The game began with Vancouver taking an early advantage in the first period. At the 10:39 mark, the Canucks converted on the left point, beating Darcy Kuemper to give the Canucks the 1-0 lead.
Vancouver got away with a moving screen up high, but the call would stand; Canucks up 1-0.
It was just the second time in the last five games that LA has given up a goal in the first period. In the midst of the King's five-game winning streak, defense has been its greatest strength, but they got off to a slow start.
The Kings looked too comfortable out there after officially clinching a playoff spot on Monday; they didn't look as motivated to get off to a good start, which allowed Vancouver to get on the board quickly.
At one point, the Kings went 15 minutes without even generating a shot on goal. And that shot on goal that ended LA's drought was a goal in transition with Alex Laferriere leading the 2-on-2 rush to find Quinton Byfield for the goal, tying the scoreboard 1-1.
LAK Goal - 23 for 55!
Byfield ties a career high with his 23rd of the season. Red hot down the stretch. Great dish by Laferriere to set it up. 1-1
Byfield continues his red-hot scoring down the stretch of the final games of the season, heading into the playoffs. The first period was a pretty even match, despite LA's slow start. The Kings did a good job tying the game after 20 minutes.
We entered the second period, where the offense would go red-hot for the Kings. After the Canucks converted on their power play goal to retake the lead 2-1 off a face-off win, it looked like the Kings were on upset alert.
But, in a span of nearly a minute and a half, Los Angeles scored two goals to take their first lead of the game, 3-2. Nearly 12 seconds after Vancouver scored, Adrian Kempe scored the goal to tie the game at two.
Kempe did a good job drawing Vancouver's defenders away from him after passing the puck to Anze Kopitar. Kempe got the puck back alone in the slot and beat Vancouver's goaltender to even up the game.
LAK Goal - What a response!
Kempe scores 12 seconds after the Vancouver PPG to tie the game at two. Decent response time. 2-2.
Over a minute later, Drew Doughty's point shot was kicked in by Alex Laferriere on the rebound shot, giving LA the 3-2 advantage. After the Canucks took a one-goal lead, they took a brief defensive break, which led to those two quick goals by the Kings.
LAK Goal - There's that line again!
Doughty's point shot is kicked out by Lankinen and Laferriere buries the rebound. 3-2 Kings.
Credit to Los Angeles for quickly amping it up after going down by one goal; they found a way to take a one-goal lead in a span of a minute.
LA's biggest problem, though, was its defense and faceoff wins. Vancouver was winning key faceoffs that led to goals, and the Kings' zone defense was terrible in the second period.
After a broken stick, LA lost track of the puck and the defender, allowing Vancouver to take advantage and score an easy shot in the slot, tying the score at 3-3. The Kings were not engaged at all in this game, especially defensively; there were too many lapses and errors that we haven't seen in a while, certainly not in the winning streak.
Both teams were careless, turning the puck over in the second period, and had several chances to score on fast-break transitions, but couldn't capitalize. Just like the first period, the second ended with the game tied 3-3.
LA had 15 shots in the second period after a measly four in the opening period, scoring two goals, but the defense and faceoffs struggled, giving up two goals and keeping Vancouver in the game.
We entered the third period, and both teams were sluggish offensively, combining for four shots in the first seven minutes of the final frame. It was one of the quieter periods that the Kings have played this season; nothing was going their way offensively.
Whichever team didn't make any mistakes and cleaned up their errors on offense was going to steal this game in the final minutes of regulation. The Canucks had nothing to lose here, while the Kings need this game.
It would stay that way, forcing the game into overtime. It was the first time LA had gone to extra periods in over a week.
In extra periods, Vancouver would call the game with under two minutes left, with nice puck movement to get an open look and score the game-winner, upsetting the Kings.
Key Takeaways
Big missed opportunity for the Kings in tonight's loss to the Canucks. Despite earning a point and tying Anaheim for the three seed, the Kings could have earned two points; instead, they remained with 90 points. If LA earned two points today, they would've been in a clear position to gain home-ice advantage in the first round after Anaheim lost on Tuesday.
Now, it looks like the Kings' first-round matchup will be against the Colorado Avalanche if Edmonton and Anaheim win their final game, leaving LA at the second wild-card spot.
Quinton Byfield and Alex Laferriere both had a very good night on offense tonight, each recording one goal, one assist, and two points.
Darcy Kuemper got his first start under the crease for the first time since April 4th. Kuemper was solid, finishing with 21 saves on 25 shots and making a couple of huge saves in the final period, but once again couldn't come up clutch when the game went to overtime.
The Kings will have everything to play for in their last game of the season on Thursday against the Calgary Flames at 6:00 PM PT.
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Apr 14, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Bryan Woo (22) reacts after being called with a ball during the second inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images | David Frerker-Imagn Images
Yesterday the Mariners made the most of their mopportunity against the Astros; the same unfortunately cannot be said for today’s series opener against the Padres. The Mariners put up some good at-bats but were again unable to come through with a big hit, dropping the first game of the Vedder Cup against the Padres by a score of 4-1.
Bryan Woo made it three straight Mariners starters in a row working through the seventh inning, giving up three runs across his seven innings of work but also needing to navigate around eight hits. It feels wildly unfair to Woo to call a quality start not his best work, but scratching below the surface of Woo’s outing, there were some uncharacteristic mistakes, largely concentrated in the third inning.
Woo lost his iron-fist command of the zone somewhat in the third, failing to throw a first-pitch strike to the first five of the seven hitters he faced in the inning – an overall issue in this game, as Woo only threw 15 of 29 first-pitch strikes. He fell behind Ramón Laureano 2-0 before sending a fastball into the middle-lower part of the zone that Laureano punished for a triple (thanks to some semi-adventurous fielding from Luke Raley); Laureano would come home on a single from Fernando Tatís on a 1-0 slider, tying up the game at 1-1 after the Mariners had scored an early run.
If Woo had been able to cap the damage there, this game might have had a different outcome, but things continued to be a struggle for Woo in the inning. He went to a full count with Jackson Merrill, who eventually singled on the seventh pitch of the at-bat and then stole second. Woo was still close to escaping trouble, getting Manny Machado to pop out for the second out of the inning and getting ahead of Xander Bogaerts 0-2, but he “threw two really bad sliders” – his words – to Bogaerts, again going to a full count before leaving a sweeper too much on the plate for a two-RBI hit.
To his credit, Woo made adjustments and was able to finish strong, but unfortunately those three runs would be all the Padres would need, although they did add another in the eighth against Casey Legumina. But the offense, maybe struggling with some form of shock after four days of facing the Astros’ limping pitching staff, could only manage one run against the Padres pitching staff, despite Michael King showing some inefficiency and allowing a handful of baserunners between hits and free passes. It looked like the Mariners might be able to break things open against King in the second inning, loading the bases with one out, but all they could manage was a sacrifice fly from Dominic Canzone as Cole Young was punched out looking at King’s wicked sinker to end the inning.
The Mariners were able to get King out of the game after the sixth, but lefty Adrian Morejon put down Cole Young and Brendan Donovan (and pinch-hitter Patrick Wisdom) with ease, and in the eighth Jason Adam also hung a zero thanks to Josh Naylor hitting into a double play. The Padres were then able to activate their human cheat code in Mason Miller, who dispatched his trio of hitters on 15 pitches and we’ll consider it a win because he only struck out one of them (Luke Raley). A’s pitcher Mason Miller was terrifying; the Padres version is an utter nightmare. See you when you’re closing the All-Star Game for the National League in July, MM, and hopefully not before then.
For a loss, there were some positives to take away from this game. The Mariners did create traffic on the bases, showing some of the lessons they learned from the Astros series wouldn’t be left behind in Seattle. They only struck out six times (and once against Mason Miller, which does not count), and worked three walks – two of which were taken by Julio Rodríguez, which is very encouraging. If the early Julio turnaround is coming, it’s going to need to be driven by him forcing pitchers to get into the zone against him by proving he won’t expand. The problems that plagued this lineup in those early season losses are still there – once again, only Randy Arozarena showed any kind of consistency in the top half of the lineup, providing two of the Mariners’ four hits and putting up a good battle against MechaMiller – but feeling more muted than during their double digit strikeout-paloozas despite the Padres possessing a pitching staff on par with some of the early staffs they’ve faced like Cleveland or New York. It’s totally fair not to trust this offense yet, but there are cathedrals roadside chapels here for those with eyes to see.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 14: Carlos Narváez #75 of the Boston Red Sox is late with the tag on Byron Buxton #25 of the Minnesota Twins who scored from second base on a single off the bat of Luke Keaschall in the first inning at Target Field on April 14, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Ellen Schmidt/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For the third time on this road trip, the Red Sox entered a game with a seemingly large pitching advantage and lost. They got shut down by Dustin May last Friday, watched Garrett Crochet get bombarded while matched up against Bailey Ober yesterday, and saw Sonny Gray get thoroughly outpitched by Mick Abel tonight.
On an evening where the Sox needed both length and effectiveness from their starter, they got neither. Gray lasted just four innings and allowed five earned runs. Oh, and as bad as he was, it easily could have been worse as he narrowly wiggled out of a bases loaded jam in the third.
Meanwhile, the bats were going up against a guy with a 6.19 ERA in 52.1 career innings entering tonight. They scored zero runs and struck out ten times.
If this is what things look like when matchups are favorable on paper, what type of horror show are we in for when this butter knife offense starts running into the teeth of real rotations? Although I guess in some ways it can’t get any worse. You can’t score less than zero runs, and you can’t have less than zero wins, which is how many the Red Sox have against American League opponents 17 games into this season.
If you dive deeper into the details, it somehow only gets uglier. Willson Contreras left the game with lower back tightness, which unfortunately feels like the most natural injury ever when you’re talking about a guy who will be 34 next month, has never played more than 138 games in a season, and started all 17 games this year. I don’t have time to look it up, but I bet there’s a decent chance this is the first time he’s ever started 17 straight games in his career. It also feels like another byproduct of a completely unbalanced roster that includes way too many outfield / DH guys, and not enough quality infielders.
Speaking of subpar play by an infielder, did you see the strike Andruw Monasterio (who came into the game for Contreras) challenged tonight? This puppy wasn’t even close!
And it should be noted, this stands juxtaposed to Roman Anthony’s more disciplined decision to not challenge a ball in the third pitch of the game tonight. If you saw this live, you could see he really, really wanted to tap his head on this one (pitch 3 below), but ultimately decided to be a good teammate and not risk burning a challenge in the very first at bat of the night.
But you know what, as we continue to iron out the best way to handle these challenges, maybe they should let Roman use them early in the game if he’s confident. He seems to have a much better handle on the strike zone than most guys on this team. Perhaps the player challenging matters almost as much as the spot? (Within reason of course)
Oh, and we also have to mention that Jarren Duran flipped off a fan in this game, but that didn’t manage to get me nearly as angry as the hideous and downright shameful play of the team on the field, so this was a real masterclass of a fiasco tonight!
Three Studs
Jack Anderson: Even somebody as cynical as me is a sucker for a major league debut, and Jack Anderson had a good one tonight. He came into a horrible situation needing to clean up the mess made by both of the top two men in the Red Sox rotation over the last 36 hours, and he delivered big time. The rookie gobbled up three innings of grunt work and struck out the side in his first frame ever pitched on a major league mound. His family was also in attendance, so for them it’s a wonderful evening they’ll never forget. (At least something good came out of this dumpster fire.)
Roman Anthony: Anthony’s slowly starting to heat up at the plate. After getting on base four times yesterday, he went 2-4 tonight, including the only extra base hit of the game for the Sox. (In case you’re wondering, his arm didn’t get challenged in this game.)
Masataka Yoshida: He took advantage of his time back in he lineup at DH and recorded a pair of hits. My guess is he’ll get another chance tomorrow too as Duran will likely be in time out.
Three Duds (You gotta clear a high bar to get on this list)
Sonny Gray: Not even close to what the Sox needed from this guy after Crochet got bombed yesterday. Five runs over four innings including two gopher balls is a dreadful outing on any night, but it stings even worse given the current state of this team. They needed somebody to step up, and instead he dug the hole deeper.
Jarren Duran: 0-4 on the night. Batting Average down to .182 on the year.
Carlos Narvaez: Should we start getting concerned about this guy? 0-4 with four strikeouts tonight, and with that golden sombrero he’s now batting .195 with a .409 OPS on the season.
Highlight of the game:
It’s Jack Anderson’s first career strike out. He’s the only person in that clubhouse who should have a smile on their face tonight.
Looking Ahead: Tomorrow’s game is Early, both in time (a 1:40pm start) and in matchup. Connelly Early will take the mound tasked with trying to prevent a Twins sweep and to salvage a .500 road trip for the Sox.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto matched McLean jab for jab before Brooks Raley dented in the eighth, allowing an RBI single to Kyle Tucker that sent the Mets to their seventh straight loss, 2-1 to the Dodgers at Chavez Ravine.
Tucker, whom the Mets pursued last winter in free agency before he landed in Hollywood on a $240 million, four-year contract, delivered a bloop single to left for the go-ahead hit after Raley walked pinch-hitter Miguel Rojas to start the inning.
McLean pitched a gem, allowing one earned run on two hits with two walks and eight strikeouts over seven innings, lowering his ERA to 2.28.
“I try to treat every start the same, no matter who is standing in the box or where I’m at, I just want to win every time I go out there,” McLean said. “Growing up a baseball fan, getting to watch some of these guys on TV as I am growing up, it’s really cool to go compete against them.”
The game had only seven hits, four of which belonged to the Mets (who have one run total to show for their last three games). Francisco Lindor’s homer leading off the game gave the Mets their only run on a night Yamamoto dominated over 7 ²/₃ innings, striking out seven and walking one.
What is the Mets’ desperation level for a victory?
“The urgency level is really high,” Lindor said. “I don’t think anyone here is desperate, but we understand that we have to win. It’s a must win. I don’t want to sit here and say, ‘We’ll get them.’ Everybody in here has a sense of urgency and we are all trying to win. It’s just a matter of time. It’s still the middle of April and we have an opportunity to finish the month on the positive side.”
Nolan McLean throws a pitch during the first inning of the Mets’ 2-1 loss to the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on April 14, 2026 in Los Angeles. Getty Images
The Mets were overmatched by lefty Justin Wrobleski, who fired eight shutout innings a day earlier. They won’t receive a reprieve in Wednesday’s series finale with Shohei Ohtani scheduled to start for the Dodgers.
“They are good, but we’re good too,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “We have got to get back to attacking, so you can’t give them too much credit. We have got to trust who we are. We have got good players here and we have just got to go out there and do it and execute.”
Lindor’s first homer and RBI this season gave the Mets a 1-0 lead only three pitches into the game, ending the team’s scoring drought at 20 innings. Lindor jumped on a 95-mph fastball and cleared the right-field fence for his 32nd career leadoff homer. Before the game, Mendoza indicated that moving the slumping Lindor from the leadoff spot wasn’t a consideration.
Freddie Freeman’s RBI ground out in the bottom of the first tied it 1-1.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto throws a pitch during the second inning of the Mets’ loss to the Dodgers. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
McLean walked Tucker to begin the rally and Will Smith’s sinking line drive double that just eluded Carson Benge’s grasp in left field put runners on second and third with one out before Freeman drove in his 14th run this season.
McLean kept the go-ahead run at third base by striking out Teoscar Hernández to end the inning.
Neither team had another base runner until McLean walked Hyeseong Kim with two outs in the fifth. McLean’s errant pickoff attempt on Kim moved him to second before Alex Freeland was retired to end the threat.
Kyle Tucker (23) celebrates with teammates after scoring a run during the first inning of the Mets’ loss to the Dodgers. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
McLean showed no sign of fading as he worked the third time through the batting order. He quickly retired Ohtani and Tucker to begin the sixth before getting Smith to pop out on a full-count fastball.
Yamamoto didn’t allow his second hit until the seventh, when Bo Bichette stroked a two-out double. Francisco Alvarez, elevated to the fifth spot in the batting order, walked.
But Brett Baty was overmatched by Yamamoto’s 1-2 splitter, striking out to end the inning. It was Yamamoto’s 94th pitch, but he wasn’t finished.
Francisco Lindor celebrates as he scores after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of the Mets’ loss to the Dodgers. AP
McLean struck out Freeman and Hernández on six pitches to begin the bottom of the inning before Max Muncy’s single to left gave the Dodgers their second hit. McLean recovered to strike out Andy Pages swinging on a 1-2 changeup.
Yamamoto returned to the mound for the eighth and retired Mark Vientos on a weak comebacker before Marcus Semien hit a drive to the warning track in left that was caught.
Benge singled to left and Lindor’s ensuing single to right moved the go-ahead run to third base, ending Yamamoto’s night at 104 pitches. After Lindor stole second, Luis Robert Jr. was caught looking at Strike 3 on Blake Treinen’s full-count sweeper to end the inning.
After Tucker’s RBI single against Raley gave the Dodgers a 2-1 lead in the eighth, the Mets were retired in order by lefty Alex Vesia, who subbed for hurting Edwin Díaz in the closer’s role.
