NEW YORK (AP) — Matvei Michkov had a goal and two assists and the Philadelphia Flyers beat the New York Islanders 3-1 on Friday night to move within one point of the Islanders for third place in the Metropolitan Division.
Travis Sanheim and Alex Bump had a goal and an assist each and Owen Tippett also scored for Philadelphia. Dan Vladar finished with 20 saves. The Columbus Blue Jackets are also tied with the Flyers with 88 points.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored for New York and Ilya Sorokin made 17 saves in his 10th straight appearance, but the Islanders lost their third straight in a tightly contested Eastern Conference playoff race.
Michkov fired a shot from behind the goal line off Sorokin’s pad early in the second period to give the Flyers a 3-0 lead.
Tippett opened the scoring, completing a forehand-backhand move off a pass from Sanheim with less than seven minutes remaining in the first period.
Bump extended the Flyers’ lead to two goals when he caught Sorokin out of position and sent a wrist shot just inside the post.
Pageau scored off a feed from Mathew Barzal with less than five minutes remaining in the second period to pull New York within 3-1.
Sanheim scored midway through the third period to restore Philadelphia’s three-goal lead and put the game out of reach.
Simon Holmstrom returned to the Islanders’ lineup after missing the previous game against the Buffalo Sabres with an upper-body injury. Anthony Duclair was a healthy scratch.
Up next
Flyers: Host the Boston Bruins on Sunday.
Islanders: Visit the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday.
A first period that couldn’t be overcome, a goaltending situation that suddenly feels precarious and a potential collapse that suddenly seems all too possible.
The Islanders have been flirting with disaster for about two weeks. It arrived fully formed Friday night with a 4-1 defeat to the Flyers at UBS Arena.
A win would have all but eliminated Philadelphia. The loss means that the Islanders no longer control their own destiny with five games left in the season, and the postgame dressing room projected the opposite of confidence.
“After this one, we gotta stick together,” Anders Lee said. For a captain who is usually nothing but upbeat, the shift in tone felt highly notable. “We’ve lost three in a row [at an] important time of year, but we can’t lose sight of what’s gotten us here, who we are as a team and our ability to fight through adversity. It’s tough, there’s no doubt about it.
New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin (30) makes a save against the Philadelphia Flyers during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Friday, April 3, 2026 in Elmont, N.Y. Noah K. Murray for NY Post
“We talked about what we needed to do tonight. We didn’t execute on a few things. The mistakes ended up in the back of our net. We gotta have each other’s backs here. It’s been a tough week.”
For now, the Islanders are still in a playoff spot with 89 points. But the Blue Jackets and Flyers, both with 88, have each played one fewer game. So, too, have the Senators, who have 88 points in the second wild-card spot.
So beyond needing a win in what will be a tough second end of this back-to-back in Raleigh, N.C., on Saturday, the Islanders will be glued to their televisions during the ensuing four days off, over which everyone else will catch up on games played.
Coach Patrick Roy, whose job seemed secure all year but might be on the line if he cannot get this team over the playoff finish line, took the blame for a putrid start in which the Islanders got outshot 12-2 in the first, failed to record a shot through 13:15 and burned burnt their timeout 15:01 into the match, only to commit a penalty off the very next faceoff.
“I’ll take part of the blame for the first period,” Roy said. “I have a job to do to make sure our team is ready and play a strong game.”
Roy declined to say whether Ilya Sorokin will start a second straight game Saturday, but the decision is all the more crucial now. Sorokin stopped just 17 of 21 shots and looked decidedly mortal Friday, his 10th straight game with an appearance, and has not looked quite like himself in any of the last three games.
Matthew Schaefer (48) controls the puck against Philadelphia Flyers center Christian Dvorak (22) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Friday, April 3, 2026 in Elmont, N.Y. Noah K. Murray for NY Post
“We didn’t do a good enough job in front of him to protect him,” Roy said. “… Certainly not to be blamed. Absolutely not. We’re together in this. We all have to play better hockey.”
It’s true, and all too obvious, that Sorokin was far from the only culprit. Still, other than Owen Tippett’s opener, the next three goals he allowed were ones he would’ve liked back.
Alex Bump’s shot from the left-hand dot beat Sorokin short side, Matvei Michkov took advantage of a heinous Brayden Schenn turnover and banked one off the goaltender 2:52 into the second and then Travis Sanheim’s shot beat him clean and short side 9:16 into the third.
Sanheim’s goal put an official end to a comeback attempt that appeared promising with JG Pageau’s tally that put an exclamation mark on a second period in which the Islanders mostly looked like themselves.
The momentum fizzled quickly to start the third, and Roy’s move to change the lines — putting Barzal with Pageau and Simon Holmstrom while Ondrej Palat moved to the second line with Cal Ritchie and Brayden Schenn — seemed to hurt the team more than help it.
“We gotta find a way to get some energy, to look after one another and fix our mistakes,” Lee said. “Our mistakes are killing us right now. It’s putting us behind in games and it’s costing us points. We gotta regroup and look after one another.”
Three losses in a row equals the Islanders’ worst losing streak of the season, and they are an abysmal 3-6-0 in their last nine, a span over which a better record might have meant an “X” next to their name in the standings by now.
Konnor Griffin entered the 2026 season with one of the most anticipated pending debuts in Major League Baseball.
And on Friday, the young Pirate did not disappoint.
The highly touted prospect, who will be 19 for another three weeks, ripped an RBI double in his first MLB at-bat as part of a 5-4 win over the Orioles, elevating the Pirates’ record to 4-3.
“It was awesome,” Griffin said, per MLB.com. “Getting a win, as well, was the cherry on top. That was hands down one of the best days of my life.”
He became the first teenage position player in the majors since Juan Soto did so with the Nationals in 2018.
Pittsburgh Pirates 19-year-old Konnor Griffin hit an RBI double in his Major League Baseball debut. The Pirates beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-4. Getty Images
The RBI double was part of what became a game-deciding four-run second inning.
Griffin, who was drafted in the first round at No. 9 overall in 2024, finished the day with 1-for-3 with a walk at the plate while hitting seventh in the order.
“He just went right down and hit his stride and was able to reset in a couple of days,” manager Don Kelly told reporters after the win. “Which again, for anybody, is really impressive, especially for a 19-year-old kid whose hopes and dreams were to make the big leagues.”
Konnor Griffin (6) points to his family while being interviewed after the game against the Baltimore Orioles on April 03, 2026, at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Griffin slashed an incredible .438/.571/.625 line in just five games this season with the Pirates’ Triple-A affiliate in Indianapolis.
Additionally, across 122 games last year in the minors, Griffin hit .333, blasting 21 home runs with 94 RBIs and 65 stolen bases.
As a result of his production, he was later honored with Baseball America’s Minor League Player of the Year.
A native of Jackson, Mississippi, Griffin had originally committed to baseball powerhouse LSU, but ended up forgoing a career in the SEC to head straight to the pro ranks.
Griffin also earned a signing bonus of $6.53 million upon joining the Pirates organization following the 2024 Draft. He’s in the midst of finalizing a reported $140 million extension.
The Knicks started Friday's game against the Chicago Bulls on a 20-1 run and never looked back in a 136-96 win.
Takeaways
No Karl-Anthony Towns (right elbow impingement), no problem. Mitchell Robinson was fresh off missing Wednesday's 130-119 win at the Memphis Grizzlies and delivered with a 17-point, 11-rebound double-double in 22 minutes. Robinson made all seven field goals and four free throws, flirting with his season-high 21 points from New York's Dec. 19 game against the Philadelphia 76ers as he took advantage of an opportunity to start at center.
Another Knick who returned from inactivity, Jalen Brunson, was aggressive and efficient early while taking a step back from the scoring and facilitating more with 10 assists in 29 minutes. Brunson's 17-point double-double included 6-of-13 shooting, looking strong in his return from right ankle soreness and doing what he should have for New York (50-28) against lowly Chicago (29-47).
OG Anunoby continues to trend up. After scoring 25 points on 8-of-17 shooting Wednesday in Memphis, Anunoby dropped a game-high 31 against the Bulls. He did so on 9-of-15 shooting, including a 7-for-10 clip from deep, and made all six of his free throws in 28 minutes. Anunoby's seven made treys are a season-high figure for the wing, who drilled four triples on eight attempts two days ago and is coming alive for the Knicks -- albeit against subpar competition -- down the stretch.
Mike Brown dug deep into New York's bench as he played nine Knicks beyond his starting five, including first-quarter minutes for Jeremy Sochan, among others. Landry Shamet and Tyler Kolek led the Knicks off the bench with eight points apiece. Meanwhile, Miles McBride scored six points on a 2-of-4 mark behind the arc with two steals in 12 minutes off the bench as he works his way back from mid-February surgery and this past week's injury scare. McBride missed Wednesday's game but seemed to bounce back nicely Friday.
Who's the MVP?
Robinson, whose opening layup and 10 first-quarter points set the tone with a physical start for the Knicks in the absence of Towns.
The Knicks, who have now won 50 games in three consecutive regular seasons, get the weekend off before they embark on their final road game of the regular season with Monday's 7 p.m. tipoff at the Atlanta Hawks.
The Los Angeles Angels have used that name since 2016, but California state legislation could result in that changing.
California Assembly member Avelino Valencia has brought the legislation forward, asking to revert the name of the MLB franchise to the Anaheim Angels as a requirement of any sale or new lease of the stadium property, according to the LA Times.
The bill is named the “Home Run for Anaheim Act.”
Anaheim was dropped from the name after the team was previously called the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim from 2005 to 2015. The team was previously known as the Anaheim Angels from 1997 to 2004, including during its championship season in 2002.
Anaheim Mayor Ashleigh Aitken has reportedly asked the city attorney to also explore the possibility that the MLB franchise may have violated its current lease by dropping the name from legal documents.
The team's current stadium lease extends through 2032, according to Sports Business Journal. The Angels have the option to consider extending the lease through 2038.
Arte Moreno bought the Angels from the Walt Disney Company for $183.5 million in 2003. Moreno considered selling the team in 2022 but decided the team was no longer for sale after having a change of heart in January 2023.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 03: Nolan Traore #88 of the Brooklyn Nets drives to the basket as Onyeka Okongwu #17 of the Atlanta Hawks defends in the first half at Barclays Center on April 03, 2026 in New York City. 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 Evan Bernstein/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Atlanta Hawks have had three seasons in one. They started with Trae Young, Kristaps Porziņģis, and as a team so unanimously picked as a “dark horse” in the East, the label eventually stopped fitting. Then, they were lost, going through a 5-13 stretch and reckoned with trading the face of the franchise. A few weeks later, they did it, went 26-12, and got right to where we expected them to be, just for entirely different reasons.
The Nets? They’ve had one stagnant, numbing, gray campaign. It’s almost at an end, and that’s undoubtedly for the better.
Brooklyn started tonight with Nolan Traoré, Drake Powell, Terance Mann, Noah Clowney, and Nic Claxton. The latter two almost didn’t suit up, tagged with wrist and ankle soreness earlier in the week, but came off the injury report a few hours before the game. Their presence on the floor, however, didn’t offer much of a lift.
Less than a minute into the game, Jordi Fernández was already hoping for a restart. He called a timeout 58 seconds deep after Claxton and Traoré got confused on who needed to cover CJ McCollum in the corner after a simple pick-and-roll set. That only briefly stalled what became a trampling 25-8 run for Atlanta to start the game. Brooklyn also turned it over five times on their first 14 possessions.
“Poor executing on our end,” Fernández said. “Played this team four times. We just were not good enough, starting with the guys that bring the ball up the floor, tried to get us into something organized, it was very poor.”
Once more, the Nets looked to their understudies for a spark, and got it via Malachi Smith. In five minutes spanning the end of the first and start of the second period, the Long Island product went 4-4 from the field and 3-3 from deep to pull Brooklyn to within four early in the second. He could have had even more, had the first period been another half second longer…
Didn't count, but what a play. Josh Minott goes Odell. Malachi Smith puts it in. pic.twitter.com/hLlNpAdK72
“Our coaches say to find windows, because they are so aggressive, trying to steal the ball, play passing lanes,” Smith said. “Sometimes they can’t see who they’re guarding. So just, you know, kind of as a shooter, finding spots where, like they’re not. You know, little windows that are open for me.”
Of the Long Island call-ups, Smith’s been one of the most productive, and that continued tonight.
“I think just the mentality is leave to it all on the floor,” he said. “I’m someone that has been praying for this opportunity and working for this opportunity for years. So, I’m not going to take any minute for granted. I always tell myself I don’t care if I get one in or 10 minutes, I’m going to be able to go to sleep at night knowing I played as hard as I can, and then whatever happens after that, I can know I can live with the results.”
That jolt helped the Nets hang around, down 10, for much of the second. But even as Traoré got back the occasional steal and Terance Mann hit the occasional a jumper, Brooklyn couldn’t get any closer. The turnovers continued to stack and naturally progressed into fast break offense for Atlanta. The Hawks ran for 20 transition points in the first half and had 23 off turnovers. They led 71-55 at the break, posting .558/.526 splits.
Clowney and Claxton started the second half far better on both sides of the floor. Brooklyn wasn’t as over-zealous throwing two at the ball as we’ve seen before, but seemed allergic to stopping entry passes and the shots that followed in the opening two frames. But in the third, they were on time and on task getting vertical, collectively forcing three straight misses inside to begin the period. They also scored Brooklyn’s first eight points in it.
However, right as things were getting started for Clowney, they were over. With 5:37 left in the third, he got wrapped up with Mouhamed Gueye on a loose ball, who kept him pinned on the ground for a handful of seconds after a jump ball had been called. After the “play,” if you can even call it that, Clowney got up and continued jawing at Gueye and the officials. The latter gave him a second technical and ejected him.
So, now swiftly turned away from the prospect of getting production from their veterans, the Nets went back to what originally worked. Smith hit another pair of triples soon after that, making it a 10-point game yet again with just under three remaining in the third.
And again, when the Nets were ready to try and make this one a game, they were turned away. A flurry of threes McCollum, Cory Kispert, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker pumped the lead closer to 20 early in the fourth. All game, Brooklyn waited for Atlanta to cool off, but that moment never came. The Hawks shot 20-40 from three for the night, guiding the Nets to another quiet loss despite a near .50/.40 game.
In place of competitive basketball, we had another tryout from Long Island as our entertainment down the stretch.
Tre Scott, who signed a 10-day earlier this week, came in with 7:42 remaining. It was the first NBA appearance by the 29-year-old since the 2021-22 season. He finished with six points and two rebounds on 2-3 shooting in those minutes.
Tre Scott gets his first two points back up at the NBA level.
Despite sitting in the fourth quarter yet again, Claxton led the Nets with 16 points while shooting 7-10 from the field, grabbing five boards, and dishing two dimes. Smith followed him with 15 points while shooting 5-8 from the field. Traoré grinded his way to a 13/4/2 game. On the bright side, after having three straight games of four or more turnovers, he had just two this evening.
Still, Fernández indicated that the young guard left a little bit out there.
“He has taken advantage of some minutes, but not all of them,” Fernández said. “So, he has to have the mindset of taking advantage of all the minutes in place, especially right now, at this moment, these minutes, they’re very, very viable. Got to continue to coach him…If you remember, up to the All-Star break, he had a pretty impressive stretch of games, and sustaining, it’s not about the points, it was like the energy, how he communicated, everything else that he created. Right now, I haven’t seen it consistently.”
In fairness, the coach has acknowledged before that Traoré is feeling the effects of the “rookie wall.” He hinted at that again tonight. Indeed, perhaps Traoré is just tired. Perhaps we all are.
“Obviously, there’s a lot of games is. The experience, he needs to go through it to be able to come back, work, get stronger, and be able to sustain,” Fernández said. “Mentally, the NBA, it’s very, very, very hard in that regard. You see guys that have done it for many years, so they’re, in that regard, ahead of you, but sometimes with our guys, if I do get frustrated, it’s because I believe they’re very good, and I do believe he’s a high level point guard. We all think, ‘Well, he’s young, he’ll be able to do it.‘ And in my mind, I don’t are about how young he is. I know he can do it right now. So that will always be my fight.”
Five to go.
Final: Atlanta Hawks 141, Brooklyn Nets 107
Milestone Watch
Malachi Smith’s 15 points tonight against Atlanta are his second-most career points (high is 18 vs. SAC, 3/22) and most career 3-pointers made (previous high was three vs. SAC, 3/22)
With Smith’s four 3-pointers tonight, he is tied for the most by an undrafted rookie in a game in Nets history (Chris Childs, 03/18/1995 at NY, Billy Thomas, 02/09/2005 vs LAL, and Tyson Etienne, 04/10/2025 vs ATL).
Egor Speaks on VC and Development
It was Egor Dëmin’s turn to speak with the YES crew during tonight’s game. The rookie, ruled out for the rest of the season as he manages plantar fascia in his left foot, spoke with Sarah Kustok and Noah Eagle during the third quarter. He touched on how he’s worked with Vince Carter, his injury recovery, the development of Brooklyn’s team, and more.
More from Egor on Vince and how he, plus other basketball icons, have given him material to learn from this season. #NETSonYESpic.twitter.com/VNsnJAmmH0
The full interview can be found on gothamsports.com for those with a subscription.
Injury Update
Pregame, Fernández essentially said Michael Porter Jr. and Danny Wolf will not return this season. MPJ hasn’t played since March 10th having suffered a left hamstring strain. Wolf last played on March 22nd, where he rolled his ankle in a loss vs the Kings. The team diagnosed him with a left ankle sprain.
“Based on where we are right now and based on where they’re at with their rehab, and we only have one week left, they’ll be out just from where they are,” Fernández said.
Remarking on their seasons, Fernández praised Wolf’s versatility and shared that he’s looking forward to how he progresses as a sophomore.
“Danny, from shooting the ball to playmaking to rebounding to being that primary ball-handler, playing off the ball, all those things, different lineups, which I’m very happy with him,” Fernández said. “Obviously efficiency is important. We believe he’s a very good shooter. His playmaking efficiency has gotten better from college. And then defensively, I think you guys brought the point that he surprised a lot of people. He didn’t surprise us. We felt like he could do all those things and keep bodies in front, keep guys in front of the ball and guard smaller guys. So he’s been very, very good.”
Fernández also reached back for one final shot at the voters who snubbed Porter Jr. of an all-star bid this year.
“He’s played at an All-Star level. In my opinion, he should have been an All-Star,” Fernández said. “And now I want him to come back here and have a chip on his shoulder, lead the team the way he’s been doing the same way. That was a new thing for him, to lead by example and be the oldest guy. He went from being the youngest guy, or since I was with him, 19 all the way to 27, and now all of a sudden at 27 he’s a vet. So that was an adjustment. He’s done a great job, whether he used his voice or led by example.”
Next Up
The tank – ing Super Bowl takes place on Sunday afternoon at the Barclays Center. The Nets will host the Washington Wizards at 3:00 p.m. ET. Your guess as to who plays is as good as mine, but household names will surely sit out, as will the guys pictured above. If the Nets lose, they’ll tie the Wiz Kids in first place for lottery standings with four games remaining. Have fun!
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo says he’s healthy and wants to play even as the Milwaukee Bucks continue to say the two-time MVP is too injured to take the floor.
Antetokounmpo missed a 10th straight game on Friday night against the Boston Celtics due to what the team has described as a left knee hyperextension and bone bruise. Antetokounmpo hasn’t played since landing awkwardly during a March 15 victory over the Indiana Pacers.
“I’m healthy,” Antetokounmpo told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and The Athletic before Friday’s game. “I hate it when people force me to do things against my nature. I’m a player. I get paid to play.”
For the last couple of weeks, Antetokounmpo has participated in pregame warmups without showing any apparent signs of injury.
Antetokounmpo also noted that the Bucks should have known this about him since the 31-year-old has spent his entire 13-year career in Milwaukee.
Throughout that time, Antetokounmpo has had a reputation for rapid returns from injury, most notably when he hyperextended his knee during Milwaukee’s 2021 playoff run but missed two games before returning to lead the Bucks to their first title in half a century.
“You know who you’re dealing with,” Antetokounmpo told reporters. “So, for somebody to come and tell me to not play or to not compete, it’s like a slap in my face.”
Bucks coach Doc Rivers addressed Antetokounmpo's comments after the 133-101 loss to Boston.
“The tough part about all this is that I’m in the middle and I have nothing to do with it,” Rivers said. “Coaches don’t decide any of this. The problem with our league is the coaches are the ones sitting out front. And we have to sit here and answer this stuff. I think there are two sides to this, I will tell you that, but I don’t want to get too involved in it.”
The Bucks still had a remote chance of earning a 10th straight playoff berth at the time of that Indiana game, but they were officially eliminated from contention last week. There’s also the possibility of Antetokounmpo getting hurt again if he returns to action — he has missed a career-high 41 games this season and had two extended absences due to calf strains.
“I understand the circumstances — yes, we’re not going to be in the playoffs,” Antetokounmpo said. “For some people’s eyes, it’s not worth it for me to be out there. But for me, it’s something that goes against my nature.”
Rivers said he has a “great relationship” with Antetokounmpo and that he often talks to the superstar about what to work on and what to add to his game. Rivers added that he didn't like the “he-said, she-said” nature of this dispute and added that “this is a grown man's game, and it should be handled that way by everybody.”
“I just don’t like that this is so public," Rivers said. "This is where grown men get in a room and they talk it out. Whether they agree or disagree, that doesn’t matter. But this should not be public, and I don’t like that.”
Antetokounmpo also wanted the opportunity to play alongside his younger brother, Alex, who made his NBA debut Tuesday. There was a possibility of three Antetokounmpo brothers playing alongside each other in the same game, since Giannis’ older brother, Thanasis, also is on the Bucks.
“When my dad passed away, I pretty much raised (Alex),” Antetokounmpo said. “He’s able to be on the team and suit up and chase an opportunity to be great. You really think I don’t want to suit up and play with my brother? Anybody who thinks that is an idiot.”
Thanasis and Alex both played in the closing minutes Friday night, the first time the two brothers had played together in an NBA game.
“The Player Participation Policy was designed by the league to hold teams accountable and ensure that when an All-Star like Giannis Antetokounmpo is healthy and ready to play, he is on the court,” the union said in a statement. “Unfortunately, anti-tanking policies are only as effective as their enforcement; fans, broadcast partners, and the integrity of the game itself will continue to suffer as long as ownership goes unchecked. We look forward to collaborating with the NBA on meaningful new proposals that will directly address and discourage tanking.”
This dispute between Antetokounmpo and the Bucks comes at a time when his future in Milwaukee is uncertain. Antetokounmpo’s name dominated league-wide discussions leading up to the trade deadline, though the Bucks ultimately kept him.
Antetokounmpo becomes eligible to sign a four-year contract extension worth up to $275 million in October. If he doesn’t sign the extension, Antetokounmpo could become a free agent after the 2026-27 season, or the Bucks could decide to trade him beforehand.
Now they find themselves at odds over how to handle the rest of this season.
“I don't think there's a bad person in this group - none of the guys that I'm talking about,” Rivers said. “They're all good people. But we've got to figure out how to put good people on the same page, and it stays inside. I've never been a fan of negotiating in the media. I don't think it's good for anybody.”
Antetokounmpo had his own take on how this could be resolved.
“I don’t know where the relationship goes from there,” Antetokounmpo said. “We’ve got to go to couples therapy.”
NEW YORK (AP) — CJ McCollum had 25 points and seven assists and the surging Atlanta Hawks routed the Brooklyn Nets 141-107 on Friday night for their fourth straight victory and 18th in 20 games.
Fifth in the Eastern Conference at 45-33, the Hawks remained 1 1/2 games ahead of sixth-place Philadelphia and seventh-place Toronto and moved within 3 1/2 games of fourth-place Cleveland. Atlanta and Cleveland will play a home-and-set next week.
McCollum was 8 of 12 from the field, hitting 4 of 7 3-pointers.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 21 points, and Jalen Johnson had 18 points and 11 rebounds. Onyeka Okongwu scored 15 points.
Nic Claxton led Brooklyn with 16 points, and Malachi Smith had 15. The Nets lost their second straight to fall to 18-59.
Atlanta scored the first 10 points and led 35-17 with 1:28 left in the first quarter. It was 71-55 at the half, with McCollum scoring 16 points and Johnson 13. McCollum was 4 of 5 from the field in the half, hitting three 3-pointers without a miss.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 3: Rudy Gobert #27 of the Minnesota Timberwolves goes to the basket against Joel Embiid #21 and Paul George #8 of the Philadelphia 76ers during the second quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena on April 3, 2026 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. (Photo by Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
“We realized it was a basketball game, not a football game,” Wolves assistant coach Micah Nori said coming out of the locker room at halftime on the television broadcast on Friday night.
Nori, his usual entertaining self during halftime interviews, was referring to an abominable first quarter in which the Wolves shot just 2-14 from three and traded bricks with the home Philadelphia 76ers.
Donte DiVincenzo was struggling, Ayo Dosunmu was scoreless at halftime, and Anthony Edwards was not himself. Yet with all of those things working against them, the Wolves still found themselves up at the half heading into the locker room on the back of a strong Bones Hyland performance (21 points in the game) and a steady Julius Randle game in all facets (21 points).
Up 10 points and in full control of the game at 10:51 in the third quarter, the 76ers would assemble a 17-4 run over the next four minutes, and end the quarter up 12 points. Both Tyrese Maxey (21 points) and Joel Embiid (19 points) had quiet first halves, but were large parts in spearheading that run. Maxey particularly was relentless in attacking downhill, and exposed a weak interior for the Wolves with Rudy Gobert off the floor.
“We started to play for the foul, and they got loose in transition,” coach Chris Finch said after the game.
Maxey’s downhill mentality and Embiid’s awakening would lead to a 52-40 Philly advantage in the paint, which would ultimately decide the game.
The good news? Dosunmu woke up in the second half. Hyland was his usual energetic self, and Julius Randle looks to be rounding into form at a time of year where his team needs it most.
The bad? The franchise player is still clearly not doing well. Until playoff time, that has to be the number one priority.
PHILADELPHIA, PA – APRIL 3: Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves shoots the ball during the game against the Philadelphia 76erson April 3, 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
Get Well Soon
Frankly, there’s not much more to write about this one. The Wolves got outplayed and Anthony Edwards might have had his worst game of the season. If he makes a few more shots, we’re likely talking about this game being very different.
But it wasn’t the case. Edwards went 3-15 from the field and 0-7 from three, just his third game of the season where he failed to make a three pointer. Sitting out Thursday night due to an illness in addition to his knee soreness he’s been nursing for the last month or so, Edwards gutted it out and made his return on the tail end of a back to back.
Finch said after the game that he clearly lacked juice with some of the ailments that he had heading into the game, but that it wasn’t an excuse for an underwhelming performance. I apologize for the account I’m about to drop below, but they actually put a pretty solid montage together of some of the lowlights, including the missed dunk early in the game.
Not only was Edwards not active on either side of the ball and seemed to be out of it overall, but his jumper mechanics were extremely bad. He didn’t have much elevation or balance on his shot, which historically does show that something might be a little off.
There’s no question that his knee might still be bothering him a little bit, and that he’s still clearly a little under the weather. All likely affected his game this evening. But moving forward, his health must be a priority over everything else. If this version of his jumpshot is what ends up surfacing in a couple weeks, the Wolves will find themselves in trouble.
Up Next
The Wolves will head back to Target Center for an Easter Sunday track meet against the elite offense of the Charlotte Hornets. Fifth in the NBA in offensive rating this season and the likely Rookie of the Year in the fold, Charlotte presents a good test for the Wolves, but an opportunity to get a quality win to find themselves for the home stretch of the season.
Mar 30, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum (3) reacts against the Boston Celtics in the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mady Mertens-Imagn Images | Mady Mertens-Imagn Images
The Hawks came out hot in Brooklyn — and as they should against a very inexperienced Nets squad. Within five minutes, it was 16-4 good guys, and it didn’t look like the home team could put up any fight.
Atlanta was basically a hot knife to the soft butter of Brooklyn. They diced up the defense with great ball movement like this:
At the halfway point of the first quarter, the lead was now 22-8 and the Hawks didn’t look as though they’d slow down.
And the rain of fire continued throughout the quarter save for a last-minute flurry from the Nets. The team lost their focus, and they let a 35-17 edge dwindle to 35-25 after one quarter.
Spanning the two quarters, the Hawks ceded a 14-0 run, and they had no one but themselves to blame. Poor execution on offense and a handful of ugly turnovers turned a blowout back into a competitive game.
The Hawks eventually got it together and proved they’re the better team in this matchup. Plays like this from Daniels helped stem the tide:
At that point, the Hawk maintained a roughly 10-point lead for a while as the Nets continued to hang in the game with transition points and downhill slashing.
The Hawks opened the game back up with a flurry of turnovers forced from the starting unit. Dyson Daniels, alone, had four steals, and those became fast break points more often than not.
A made three to begin the next quarter made it 15-for-30 shooting from three for the Hawks tonight. And the Hawks basically ended the game at the three-point lead within the first four minutes of the quarters, with Corey Kispert in particular swishing the nets (pun intended) at will:
It was a drama-less end to the game, with the Hawks waiving the white flag with around five minutes left. Asa even Newell saw his first NBA action in almost two months in the blowout.
The Hawks won 141-107 in a game that ended up being fairly close for over three quarters.
CJ McCollum had 25 points on an efficient 8-for-12 shooting. Jalen Johnson added 18 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists.
Atlanta returns home to take on the 3-seed New York Knicks on Monday.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 03: Starting pitcher Joey Cantillo #54 of the Cleveland Guardians pitches during the first inning against the Chicago Cubs of the home opener at Progressive Field on April 03, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Well. What a game. Cantillo was nearly perfect this afternnon, going 5 1/3 innings of “1-run” ball. He notched 6 strikeouts, walking only 2. I put 1-run ball in quotations because, if you watched the game, that run being earned is nonsense. For those who might not have watched, Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a lazy fly just past the infield to which Jose, Arias, and Kwan all converged. Arias called off Jose and Kwan, and then proceeded to let the ball drop. PCA got to second on that error-that-somehow-wasn’t-an-error. The Cubs brought PCA home right after. Cantillo wasn’t in the zone much today, but got the Cubs to chase quite a bit. He did a fantastic job of limiting hard contact, only surrendering 1 batted ball over 100 mph. That ball, for reference, was a groundball that escaped up the middle of the infield.
A few innings after the Cubs scored, the Guardians put guys on second and third with DeLauter coming up to bat. Counsell had brought in submarine lefty Hoby Milner to face the top of the Guardians’ order, and DeLauter did this against him:
The kid just won’t stop hitting. Arias, shown in this video, did in fact get thrown out at the plate… somehow. From a different angle, it looked like he got a pretty bad jump. Despite there being two outs, he got a bad jump. Speaking of jumps, Connor Brogdon pitched the 7th. Facing Matt Shaw, he surrendered a ball that was smoked to right-center, and Daniel Scheneemann was able to reel it in with this unbelievable play.
DeLauter went 3-4 in his regular season debut in Cleveland, notching 2 singles and a 2-run homer. For those keeping count, he’s slashing .346/.370/.923 through 27 plate appearances, good for a 271 wRC+. He’s up to 5 HRs and 8 RBI.
Flying somewhat under the radar was what is, somehow, an almost routine thing for Jose Ramirez. After the homer, he softly served a liner into center. What made that a signature Jose play was him somehow turning that into a double. Not many people turn 73 mph line drives up the middle into doubles.
And not to let CTC figurehead Quincy Wheeler’s favorite reliever go unnoticed… Matt Festa pitched today! He came on for Cantillo with runners on, and got back-to-back pop-ups to end the 6th.
Armstrong pitched a clean 8th, and Cade shut the door in the 9th. Cade was much better today. He was able to throw his splitter more consistently for strikes, which had been a problem for him so far this year. Hopefully, that’s a good sign.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 28: Tyler Mahle #54 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the New York Yankees in the second inning at Oracle Park on March 28, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Brandon Vallance/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Francisco Giants continue their four-game series against the New York Mets tonight at Oracle Park.
Taking the mound for the Giants will be right-hander Tyler Mahle, who finished the 2025 season with a 2.18 ERA, 3.37 FIP, with 66 strikeouts to 29 walks in 86.2 innings pitched. His first start this season was in the Giants’ 3-1 loss to the New York Yankees on Saturday, in which he allowed two runs on five hits with five strikeouts and a walk in four innings.
He’ll be facing off against Mets right-hander Nolan McLean, who finished the 2025 season with a 2.06 ERA, 2.97 FIP, with 57 strikeouts to 16 walks in 48 innings pitched. His first start this season was in the Mets’ 4-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday, in which he allowed two runs on four hits with eight strikeouts and two walks in five innings.
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - JULY 26: J.P. Crawford #3 of the Seattle Mariners plays shortstop during a 7-2 Seattle Mariners win over the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on July 26, 2025 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) | Getty Images
J.P. Crawford is back in the lineup Friday as the Mariners begin their first road trip of the season.
Crawford was activated from the injured list Thursday. He makes his 2026 debut in what very well may be his last season with the Mariners.
Bryan Woo is on the mound and will look to build off a solid six inning, nine strikeout performance last week against the Guardians.
The Mariners send their lefty lineup to face Reid Detmers, who Jake Mailhot covered in our series preview.
Lineups
Game Info
First pitch: 6:38 PM PDT TV: Mariners TV and MLB Network (for those out of market). For how to watch, Kate’s got the details. Radio: 710 KIRO
In the top of the ninth inning, Miami’s Xavier Edwards smoked a hard liner at 96.4 mph to left off lefty reliever Ryan Yarbrough, sending Bellinger back toward the warning track.
Bellinger leapt off the edge of the outfield grass, knocking the ball down but could not snag it.
However, as he came back down to earth, Bellinger blindly swiped at the ball with his gloved hand and came up with it for the out.
Bellinger lifted up both of his hands as he rested against the outfield wall, with adoring fans in the Yankee Stadium bleachers cheering him on.
New York Yankees left fielder Cody Bellinger (35) catches a fly ball by Miami Marlins’ Xavier Edwards (9) during the ninth inning of a home-opener baseball game, Friday, April 3, 2026, in New York. AP
He admitted after the game that he got a bit “lucky” with the snag.
“I feel like I had a good bead on it the whole way,” he told reporters after the victory. “I think it caught off my wrist. I really don’t know. I’m just glad I came down with it.”
Fans celebrate New York Yankees left fielder Cody Bellinger (35) after catching a fly ball by Miami Marlins’ Xavier Edwards (9) during the ninth inning of a home-opener baseball game, Friday, April 3, 2026, in New York. AP
Bellinger has been known for his defensive prowess during his career, winning a Gold Glove with the Dodgers during the 2019 season. During his first season in pinstripes, Bellinger recorded seven outs above average to rank in the 93rd percentile in the category, according to Baseball Savant.
The outfielder went 1-for-4 at the plate with a double, walk and run scored.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 3: Paul George #8 of the Philadelphia 76ers celebrates during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolveson April 3, 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
Don’t look now, but the Sixers haven’t just won two games in a row, they’ve won two third quarters in a row.
Philadelphia took down the Minnesota Timberwolves 115-103 Friday night.
They are now 43-34 and will remain in the sixth seed.
Paul George had the only good first half for Philly, leading them with 23 points on 6-of-15 shooting.
Tyrese Maxey came storming out of halftime to lead the Sixers with 21 points and eight assists shooting 7-of-13 from the floor. Joel Embiid was also able to shake off the first half to finish with 19 points and 13 rebounds going 6-of-17 from the floor.
VJ Edgecombe was never able to find much space, finishing with just eight points on nine shots. Bones Hyland and Julius Randle led the Wolves with 21 apiece.
Jaden McDaniels was out for the Wolves with a knee injury while the Sixers were only without Johni Broome (meniscus tear).
Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.
First Quarter
Despite getting some good looks the Sixers opened the game pretty sloppy. They had two turnovers, throwing the ball way behind its target. Embiid gave up a couple offensive rebounds and missed a couple shots that are normally automatic for him. Edgecombe and George both hit their first jumpers of the game, Maxey and Dominick Barlow were able to get out and run early, and Minnesota missed six of their first seven shots.
The Wolves did look like they had played the night before, but the Sixers defense was stellar to start the night, especially protecting the rim. They blocked several shots in the first — Maxey and Barlow each impressively denying a shot in transition. Embiid hit a jumper coming out of a timeout, but he still couldn’t find a rhythm. He had a three-point shot blocked and undid Maxey’s block by immediately turning it over. He was able to make up for that at least by swatting the following Wolves’ shot.
Barlow really was everywhere, pulling down seven rebounds in the quarter before having to sit with two fouls. George replaced him and broke down his defender off the dribble to nail a jumper on his first touch back before getting to the line the following possession. He tried to take Donte DiVincenzo off the dribble with the quarter winding down, but the ball got booted into the stands, a good summary of the offensive production from both teams so far. DiVincenzo hit a corner three on the other end to pull Minnesota within two.
Second Quarter
More solid stuff from George to start the second as he got himself a pull-up, found a cutting Adem Bona on the baseline, and got to the line again. The first player to get anything going offensively though was Bones Hyland. He ripped off 14 in the quarter, impressively drawing a foul on a floater before heating up from outside.
Kyle Anderson was also becoming a problem, getting a few floaters with that old guy at the YMCA bag. The Sixers’ offense had dried up despite a Maxey and Embiid lineup taking the floor. They went over three minutes without a basket in the half court. To pile on Embiid was grabbing his side after a Julius Randle drive, Maxey was favoring his back after getting tied up on a jump ball with Ayo Dosunmu, and George was bonked on the head by Rudy Gobert incidentally going up for a rebound.
Embiid’s 1-of-10 half would have looked a lot better if a couple shots didn’t rim out, but at the same time he was settling for a lot of jumpers. He only took three shots in the paint and was favoring his side for much of the second quarter, but the recovery he made to block a Dosunmu layup did look pretty good. George continued to be the only Sixer shooting it well though, and silly mistakes followed him as well such as getting T’d up for throwing the ball against the stanchion. After Anthony Edwards made that technical free throw, George hit two more as well to make it a six-point deficit at the break.
Third Quarter
On the first possession of the second half, Embiid made as many field goals as he had all first half, but Maxey came out of the half showing a bit more aggression. After he buried a three, he was able to get all the way to the rim for a layup. Another drive led to a wide open kick to Barlow but he couldn’t hit it. That remained the only flaw of Barlow’s night though as he was everywhere around the rim, swatting Gobert for his third block of the night.
Barlow was rewarded for those efforts immediately as Embiid hit him with a lob in transition. They were able to string a couple solid possessions on offense together and took the lead back after a George steal caused another fast break. That amounted to a 10-0 Sixers run that ironically was halted after the Sixers won a challenge to take possession back.
With the Sixers shooting under 20% from three for most of the night, anytime the Wolves made a couple in a row it looked like the game could get out of hand. Embiid and Maxey kept going back to their two-man game and it finally started to pay off for them. Maxey hitting shots early in the quarter opened up space for whichever one of the two was catching the drop off from the other. Feeling the need for more size, the Sixers played Embiid with Andre Drummond for the last couple minutes of the quarter. They held the Wolves to one point over that stretch, going on a 15-1 run to go up by 12.
Fourth Quarter
The minutes with just Drummond started a bit rockier. He gave up a few offensive rebounds, including one he had secured that Randle was able to turn into a jump ball. He did steal the ball off Edwards though, put back a dunk, and threw a nice hit ahead pass as Quentin Grimes was trying his hardest to push the pace. All in all, Drummond ended up being a +11 in his nine minutes of play.
It helped that the Wolves gave them of plenty of opportunities, but the Sixers constantly being able to get on the fast break is why they were able to pull away. It was the only time Edgecombe found space to do anything. Minnesota kept a lid on him in the half court for much of the night.
Right after he and Maxey checked back in, Embiid fouled Dosunmu on a three-point attempt, the four-point play making it just a 10-point game with still over four minutes to go. An ugly turnover by George allowed them to cut it to seven a few possessions later. Edgecombe was able to get to the basket for a layup, his best look in the half-court since the first possession of the game. Kelly Oubre Jr. did the same and got fouled in the processs, converting the and-1. Oubre answered four more Wolves points with a three in the corner and one more from the top of the key on the following possession to put the game away.
