Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg recorded his second consecutive impressive game and made history in the process.
Flagg scored 45 points in a 134-128 win over the Los Angeles Lakers at American Airlines Center on Sunday, April 5, becoming the first rookie to score 40 points in a game against LeBron James.
Flagg got off to a fast start, going 7-of-10 from the field for 19 points in the first quarter. He then finished the first half with 26 points.
James finished with a team-high 30 points as the Lakers continue to march toward the postseason without the services of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. While Doncic suffered a Grade 2 left hamstring strain that will sideline him for the rest of the regular season, Reaves suffered an oblique injury that is expected to keep him sidelined for four to six weeks. Doncic's status for the postseason is not yet known.
In Sunday's game, Flagg and James made some history together. They are the first players in NBA history to score 20 or more points in the same game, with one player aged 40-plus and another a teenager, according to the NBA.
Coming off a career-high 51 points on April 3, Flagg is also the first rookie since Allen Iverson during the 1996-97 season to score 40 or more points in back-to-back games, according to the NBA. Flagg has four 40-plus point games this season and is averaging 20.8 points per game.
Here’s a breakdown of Flagg's performance against the Lakers on Sunday:
DETROIT, MI - APRIL 5: Jojo Romero #59 of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches against the Detroit Tigers during the sixth inning at Comerica Park on April 5, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Pre-game
The Cardinals enter their April 5th, 2026 matchup vs the Tigers in Detroit with the 10th highest runs per 9 scored in the NL, but their 5.38 average runs allowed per game is the 4th worst in all of baseball. Prior to the game, the Cardinals were tied with the Cubs at the bottom of the NL Central.
Both the Tigers and the Cardinals have .500 records. If the Cardinals avoid the sweep, they will be the team with the winning record. If the Tigers sweep our redbirds, we will have went from 4-2 on the young season, to 4-5. That would take some wind out of the sails, momentum from the series wins vs Tampa Bay Rays and NY Mets. Kyle Leahy took the mound tonight vs Keider Montoro. I would describe Montoro as a back-of-the-rotation starter who relies on his good changeup to get outs. ERA probably will be mid 4s range. Leahy relies a lot on a sweeper that makes some batters chase pitches outside the zone. Leahy can also rely on trying to induce ground balls, and hopefully come up with some gidp. The verdict is still out on Leahy, but he appears to be a back-of-the-rotation starter experiment so far. What it is.
The Tigers have a better offense than the Cardinals, who are more of a mediocre offense so far compared to the Tigers, who have the 4th best team OPS in the AL. So far, the Cardinals offense has scored the same amount of runs as the two Chicago teams, and the Mariners. Which puts them middle of the pack.
If Leahy has a good start, the Cardinals have a good lineup to defeat Montero. If Leahy gives up 5 runs or more, I think it’ll be a total crapshoot. The game was streamed through the new Sunday night game-of-the-week host, Peacock, so if you have a Cardinals.TV subscription, the game was blacked out. So does MLB just expect everyone to subscribe to watch one game on a streaming site, or go out to a bar to watch the game? I guess so!
Well there you have it, I guess the Cardinals are the underdog in this matchup. But it could be a good game.
Top 1
To begin what looked like a chilly night in Detroit, JJ Wetherholt, a masked Ivan Herrera (looking almost ninja-like), and Alec Burleson were retired quickly by Keider Montero. 1-2-3
Bottom 1
Kyle Leahy was aggressive going up against the Tigers leadoff hitter Cole Keith, and struck him out to start the game. Leahy definitely needed to up his K rate there. Vs McGonigle, Leahy lost the battle; McGonigle worked it to a full count and then walked. Leahy recovered and then struck out Gleyber Torres! To complete an impressive first inning, Kyle struck out Kerry Carpenter.
Top 2
Jordan Walker lead off the 2nd with a single to right field, hitting cleanup. Nolan Gorman, another possible cleanup hitter batting fifth, popped up just outside the infield after fighting off a bunch of pitches. 1 out. Then Saggese flew out to right field. Walker’s hit had better placement, but similar nonetheless. Nathan Church was not up to the challenge, ending the top of the inning with a groundout.
Bottom 2
Kyle Leahy was looking good in the second until he started putting runners on base. Runners at first and second, Leahy faced bottom of the order Javier Baez with two outs. The escape artist, escaped unscathed.
Top 3
The Cardinals offense just wasn’t getting it done, but both teams had 1 hit at this point in the game. Baseball gonna baseball, would not have guessed these two pitchers would be having a pitcher’s duel, but Detroit in early April at night isn’t usually that conducive to hot hitting.
Bottom 3
Holt lead off the 3rd with a hit through the infield between 2nd and short. Leahy then struck out McGonigle with a filthy pitch that McGonigle could not connect with. However, the next batter Kerry Carpenter took Leahy deep to center during the next at bat. 2-0 Tigers. When Leahy gets hit, he gets hit hard. JJ Wetherholt almost made a super rangey, amazing play where he needed to slide and throw, making a play close that should not have been. The Tigers offense was dialing in on Kyle Leahy. But Kyle left the inning with only 2 runs allowed.
Top 4
Ivan Herrera lead off the 4th for the Cardinals and struck out on an ABS challenge. The rest of the Cardinals offense also appeared to be frozen in place in the freezing Michigan night.
Bottom 4
Leahy gave up a double to Spencer Torkelson to start out the 4th. Not a good start. Leahy however was able to retire two batters in a row, Torkelson advanced to third on a shattered bat. If nothing else, Leahy’s changeup looked real good tonight. He was just throwing too many pitches down the middle. Luckily, sometimes even when you throw a meatball, the hitter just pops out to center. Stil 2-0 Tigers.
Top 5
Finally the Cardinals got on base somehow, Nolan Gorman sharply hit a liner that bounced off the diving first baseman’s glove. Gorman on first with Saggese at the plate. Thomas worked the count to 3-2, then walked. There were 2 on nobody out for Nathan Church. Could Church save Easter Sunday for the Cardinals? 1-0. Foul, behind on the fastball. 1-1. 2-1 on another ball outside. It looked like Church had hit into a double play but the Tigers did not execute on the throw to second, which still got 1 out for them. Pedro Pages was up with 1 out, runners at first and third… it was quickly 0-2 for Pages. But, Pedro came up with a clutch RBI single! Nathan Church, absolutely flying around the bases, advanced all the way to third somehow. This moment knocked Montero out of the game.
Cardinals were down 2-1 with a runner at third base and 1 out when Victor Scott II layed down a bunt that actually worked out splendidly, because it scored a run and turned into VSii making it to first base. JJ Wetherholt popped out but moved Pages over to third. Then Ivan Herrera knocked in 2 runs byt hitting an opposite field lining looper which landed in right. Burleson was up with two outs and Herrera at first base, and grounded out up the middle. The damage was done though, Cardinals 4-2!
Bottom 5
Leahy continued with this 3rd MLB start of his career. Out #1 was an insanely high pop out to deep right center. McGonigle just missed a dinger. He retired Gleyber Torres. Kerry Carpenter up again, Leahy looked really good and went to 1-2 with another nasty changeup. 2-2 after a pitch missed low. 3-2 on a pich way outside. And Leahy just could not find the zone vs Carpenter, who walked to first. Kyle lost control of that at bat. Could Leahy retire Greene? He threw 3 straight balls. The wheels were coming off for Leahy. Finally a strike. Leahy quickly improved the count to two strikes. On the full count, Riley Greene hit one deep to center field and Victor Scott II pulled it in for the out.
Top 6
Jordan Walker was up at the plate. He struck out on a pitch way outside the zone, looking like the bad version of Jordan Walker. Nolan Gorman was up vs DeJesus on Easter Sunday and hit a dribbler up the middle. He almost beat it out because the ball moved slowly under the pitcher’s glove. Thomas Saggese was up and hit a deep one to right field but the outfielder was able to reign it in.
Bottom 6
Tigers down 4-2 still. George Soriano took over for Kyle Leahy. He threw 3 balls then a strike. Then another one missed low and Dingler walked. Leadoff hitter on base. Soriano did not have it tonight. Hsi slider ended up towards the middle of the zone, which got hit advancing the runner to third. Nobody out. This was the bullpen’s game to take. What would happen next? Tigers stole a base, runners at second and third. Pages with a terrible throw that bounced in the grass. Soriano battled back and it was 0-2 vs Torkelson. Then he threw one into the dirt which was blocked nicely by Pages. 2-2 count. Torkelson worked a full count by checking his swing at one in the dirt. Soriano walked the bases loaded, almost was a wild pitch. Pedro went out to the mound to calm down the vibes.
The Tigers got a run on what was in effect a sacrifice fly and Marmol decided to bail on his George Soriano plan for the 6th. There was 1 out with runners on first and second, leadoff man Jones was up with Romero. Saggese botched the double play but JoJo got an out. Cards up 4-3 with two outs, runners on first and third. It was McGonigle vs Romero… JoJo got wild and went 3-0! And then missed inside! Bases were loaded. Gleyber Torres was up and was 0-3 on the day… could he do anything? Romero threw a strik and two balls, 2-1 count. This time Saggese was able to make up for his botched DP, tossing the ball to second base for the out.
Top 7
The game felt far from over. Cardinals at bat. Church could not buy himself a hit tonight, or even a walk. One down on DeJesus striking out Church. Pedro Pages also struck out vs DeJesus. Buinting expert Victor Scott II flew out to left field this time. 1-2-3
Bottom 7
Romero was back out and quickly got a deep fly out to right field. 1 down. Riley Greene was up vs JoJo. JoJo struck him out! Two outs. Dillon Dingler which is one of the dumbest names I’ve ever heard… was up at the plate. Romero threw one low that he lost control of. But then Torres just ended up having a bad day and JoJo steamrolled through the Tigers offense like it was warm butter.
Top 8
JJ Wetherholt lead off the 8th inning for the Cardinals. He got a hit vs DeJesus! Who you might be surprised was still in the game. This hit knocked him out though. It was Herrera vs Seabold. Herrera took 3 balls in a row, and then four for the walk. Two on nobody out! Burly was up, having a no hit night. He took a strike, then whiffed on a pitch that dropped down out of the zone. Seabold threw another one outside the zone, which Burleson popped up to center field. Wetherholt was able to advance on this pop-out though, so it was not an entirely unproductive at bat.
One out for Jordan Walker, he held off on an away sweeper. Three balls in a row again, Walker thought he had a walk, but Seabolt caught the top of the zone. The next pitch was some junk down low though, so Seabolt walked the bases loaded, 1 out. Nolan Gorman was up at the plate. Took a ball inside that looked more like a nasty strike, but the Tigers didn’t challenge it. 1-1 count to Gorman. 2-1, then a nasty changeup fooled Gorman, making it 2-2. 3-2… Gorman popped out to left field, but it worked as a sacrifice fly. 5-3 Cardinals with Wetherholt scoring! Saggese struck out to end the inning. Not a very good day for Thomas Saggese.
Bottom 8
Ryne Stanek was in for the 8th. It was an 0-2 count vs Meadows. Then he threw 2 balls, 2-2. Meadows popped out. Stanek got a gift from the ump with a ball up in the zone, Tigers no challenge. 1-1 on an outside pitch. Stanek through a ball high, 2-2. Did he attack the zone? No, he threw it into the dirt. 3-2. Then he walked him, nibbling around the zone, but too wild. With a runner at first, Baez was up. Urias was brought in as a defensive replacement for Gorman at the beginning of the inning, by the way.
Stanek was able to strike out Baez on a nasty breaking ball just outside the zone. 2 outs. Top of the order, Jahmai Jones up. Stanek took the count to 1-2, then threw some slop in the dirt making it 2-2. Stanek tried to throw it by Jones, up in the zone, but he fouled it off. Then Ryne Stanek struck out Jones!
Top 9
It was 5-3 Cardinals. Seabold was still in pitching for the Tigers. Church had a chance to get his first hit of the day. He swung at some junk outside the zone and tapped out to the pitcher. Pages, first pitch swinging, grounded out to first. Victor Scott II was up! He got a single past second base! This brought up Wetherholt again… however Victor tried to steal and was barely thrown out. You just knew he was going to try to steal there.
Bottom 9
Closer apparent Riley O’Brien got the ball to try and shutdown the game with a 2 run lead. Quickly, O’Brien got the leadoff hitter with a nasty sinker! Gleyber Torres was 0-4 on the day, O’Brien looking good. But then he threw one into the dirt that Pages blocked with his body, spinning out of control. Riley was looking wild, 3-1 count… another sinker sunk the count to full. O’Brien blew away Torres with another sinker higher up. Nasty high heat. Vierling was up to bat, trying to make something happen… strike. Then a wild pitch. 1-1. The game ended with a weak flyout to the outfield.
Post-game
The Cardinals manufactured a win with some small ball, good pitching, and some defense. JoJo Romero gets my nod for player of the game, he really swayed the outcome and locked down some key outs. Kyle Leahy only gave up 2 runs today, which was another key to the game. The only poor pitching performance came from George Soriano, who otherwise has been good this year. The Cardinals pitchers looked to be struggling a bit with the cold, issuing 7 walks today. But the effectively wild “tactic” worked. Sometimes an MLB team is just tough to sweep, and the Cardinals were up to the challenge of not getting swept on the road by a pretty good team.
Ivan Herrera was your player of the game on offense, providing 2 of the 5 RBI today. He was 1-3 with a walk and a strikeout tonight. Burleson, Saggese, and Church all could not hit tonight, so it is somewhat surprising we scored 5 runs. Nolan Gorman, Pedro Pages, and Victor Scott II all had an RBI each. Teamwork gets the job done sometimes. Gorman and Walker were both 1-3, Jordan taking a walk so a .400 OBP is nice, eh? 15 total strikeouts between both teams.
The Cardinals go to Washington DC next and face the Nationals tomorrow night at 5:40pm!
Lakers star LeBron James drives to the basket during a 134-128 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday. James finished one rebound short of a triple-double. (LM Otero / Associated Press)
The Lakers are as shorthanded as they can be, their dynamic starting backcourt of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves out with injuries at a pivotal time of the season.
They're the offensive engines for a Lakers team battling for the No. 3 playoff seeding in a competitive Western Conference.
The 41-year-old LeBron James is now driving the Lakers, and despite falling just a rebound shy of a triple-double, he couldn't save the Lakers from a 134-128 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday at American Airlines Center.
James had 30 points, 15 assists and nine rebounds. Luke Kennard delivered his first career triple-double with 15 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists.
Dallas rookie Cooper Flagg, coming off a 51-point performance against Orlando on Friday, finished with 45 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. He scored 19 points in the first quarter.
“Obviously, Cooper is in a zone over the last couple of games,” James said. “But [he] also has been playing consistent basketball all year so it’s great to see him from early in the season to where he is today.”
For the Lakers, finding ways to win without two of their best players will be their challenge over the final week of the season.
“We've got to have the commitment to do it on both ends and that's the reason that we've put ourselves in the position to be in the playoffs," Redick said, "because we became a really good offensive team and a really good defensive team."
Doncic was diagnosed with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain and will be out the remainder of the regular season — maybe even longer.
Doncic’s agent, Bill Duffy of WME Sports, confirmed to The Times that his client will seek specialized treatment for his injury in Europe with the hopes of speeding up his recovery.
Reaves was diagnosed with a Grade 2 left oblique muscle injury and will be out for the rest of the regular season, and likely into the playoffs. The time frame for Reaves' return is more like four-to-six weeks, according to a person with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak on the matter.
Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg, left, drives against Lakers guard Bronny James during the second half Sunday. (LM Otero / Associated Press)
“I took my nap after practice and I woke up with that news and it was like another shot to the [head],” James said about Reaves' diagnosis. “It was a shot to the heart, obviously, and to the chest and to the mainframe with Luka, understanding that."
Even Marcus Smart, known for his competitiveness and defensive tenacity, missed his seventh straight game with right ankle soreness.
With Doncic and Reaves out, the Lakers lose a combined 56.8 points per game and 13.8 assists per game. Doncic is fourth in the NBA in assists, with 8.3 per game, and he’s second on the Lakers in rebounding, at 7.7 per game.
“We knew that Austin was likely going to be out for a little bit of time," Redick said. “Obviously, disappointed and devastated for him to have his regular season finish this way. ... Both those guys are going to try to come back and it's our job to extend the season so that they can come back.”
The Lakers have four regular-season games left, starting with Oklahoma City on Tuesday at Crypto.com Arena. They play at Golden State on Thursday before facing the Phoenix Suns in L.A. on Friday.
The Lakers are tied with the Denver Nuggets for third in the West at 50-28, although the Lakers own the tiebreaker. The NBA playoffs starts the weekend of April 18.
With that in mind, Redick was asked if he had an optimistic view of Doncic being back for the playoffs.
“I just know that he's gonna do everything he can to try to be back,” Redick said. “I talked to him Friday. I talked to him again yesterday. I talked to him again this morning. He's going to go through all the necessary things to be back at some point, and it's our job again to extend the season so both those guys can get back.”
The Lakers, mostly, didn’t have any troubles scoring against the Mavericks despite being without their star duo who combined to average 56.8 points and 13.8 assists during the regular season.
But it was their defense that let them down in their 134-128 road loss to the Mavericks in their first game since Doncic and Reaves were ruled out for the remainder of the season because of a Grade 2 hamstring strain and Grade 2 left oblique muscle strain, respectively.
The Mavericks scored 41 points in the opening quarter, had 67 points at halftime and scored another 40 points in the third in their win over the Lakers.
LeBron James drives against the Mavericks during the first half. AP
LeBron James led the Lakers with 30 points, 15 assists and 9 rebounds.
Luke Kennard had 15 points, 16 rebounds, 11 assists for his first career triple-double.
Jaxson Hayes scored 23 points off the bench and Rui Hachimura recorded 21 points, but it wasn’t enough to overcome another special performance from Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg.
James pushes against Cooper Flagg during the first hal. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
What it means
The Lakers lost consecutive games for the first time since late February, dropping them to 50-28 on the season, the same record as the Nuggets.
The Timberwolves’ loss to the Hornets on Sunday, giving them a 46-32 record, guarantees the Lakers won’t fall any lower than fifth in the West.
The Lakers, who are still in third place in the Western Conference, won the tiebreakers against the Nuggets, Rockets and Timberwolves for playoff seeding after winning the regular-season series against all three teams and winning the Pacific Division.
Turning point
When the Lakers didn’t get defensive stops on back-to-back defensive possessions against the Mavericks after they cut their deficit back down to 112-107 with 8:45 left.
After being behind by as many as 22 points in the second quarter, the Lakers kept chipping away at their deficit, trailing by six at halftime and two midway through the third before entering the fourth down by 10.
Marvin Bagley’s putback and Brandon Williams’ free throws to put the Maveicks up 116-107 were a couple of missed opportunities by the Lakers to cut even deeper into the deficit.
Flagg went for 45 points, nine assists and eight rebounds against the Lakers. NBAE via Getty Images
MVP: Cooper Flagg
The Mavericks rookie followed up scoring a career-high 51 points with 45 points, nine assists and eight rebounds against the Lakers.
He shot 14 of 27 from the floor, and made 15 of 17 free throws.
Stat of the game: 21
The Lakers’ 12 turnovers weren’t the issue.
It was their inability to get stops after turnovers, and their poor transition defense, that hurt them the most.
The Mavericks scored 21 points off the Lakers’ giveaways, and 24 fastbreak points.
Up next
The Lakers will return to Southern California to host the Thunder on Tuesday at Crypto.com Arena.
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Apr 5, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker (18) dives safely back to first base on a pick off throw by Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Keider Montero (not pictured) in the second inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
A day after the Tigers secured the series victory — but lost Justin Verlander to the Injured List with a hip problem — they went for the series sweep on a chilly, breezy Sunday night. A costly throwing error by a Tigers pitcher against the Cardinals (déja-vu, anyone?) undid an early lead and sent Detroit to a 5-3 loss.
Verlander was originally slated to start, on somewhat-national television (I think it was streaming on the BlorgNet app or something); the Tigers even had a special ticket promotion going, including a t-shirt commemorating his true homecoming. Well, instead, they got everyone’s favourite sixth starter, Keider Montero, who’s in his third season… I hesitate to say “with the Tigers,” because he’s spent half of the past two seasons in Toledo. He made a dozen starts and eight relief appearances for the Tigers last year, and he was part of the WBC-winning Venezuela team earlier this spring.
Facing the Tigers tonight was Kyle Leahy, who spent the previous two years in the Cardinals’ bullpen, transitioning to a starting role this year. He had a decent 2025 in a relief role, with an ERA just above 3, a WHIP of 1.227, and while he doesn’t usually strike everybody out, he only gave up five home runs in 88 innings. He’d been a starter from the time he was drafted in 2018 through the 2022 season in the minors; he saw some action in AAA before the Cardinals made the decision to convert him to a reliever.
The game started off with both starting pitchers well in command, but the Tigers got a mini-threat going in the bottom of the second: Parker Meadows hit a sharp single and Spencer Torkelson walked, but Javier Báez hit a sharp grounder to third to end the inning. Meanwhile, Montero was only giving up soft contact, with a bloop single in the second being the sum total of the traffic on the basepaths for the Cardinals, and getting strikeouts on his sinker.
Kerry Carpenter opened the scoring with his second home run in two days; Colt Keith led off the bottom of the third with a single, went to second on a groundout, and with two outs Carpenter launched a mighty blast to straightaway centre for a 2-0 lead.
Montero, who was on a pitch count and so wouldn’t go too deep in this one, allowed a single and walked a guy to start the fifth; a groundout to second got the out at second. A single to left scored a run and ended Montero’s day, with Enmanuel De Jesus taking over. A comebacker bunt saw De Jesus fielding it and throwing it away, getting a run home to tie the game and putting runners on second and third. A single to right scored those two runs to put St. Louis up 4-2, and well, that was all pretty lousy.
But in the sixth Dillon Dingler — the master of the ABS system, apparently — walked to lead off, and he scooted over to third with a Parker Meadows single. Meadows then stole second to put a pair in scoring position, then Torkelson walked to load the bases. Báez hit a liner to left which was deep enough to score Dingler and narrow the lead to 4-3. Pinch-hitter Jahmai Jones hit a grounder to second which got Báez out at second, leaving runners on the corners with two outs. Kevin McGonigle drew a walk to re-load the bases, but Gleyber Torres grounded out to shortstop to end the inning. That felt like a squander to me, and was probably the thing that ultimately did the Tigers in tonight.
De Jesus righted the ship in the seventh with a 1-2-3 inning, and after giving up a leadoff single in the eighth, Connor Seabold took over. After a walk, a flyout and another walk, the Cardinals had the bases loaded with one out and Seabold was clearly having trouble finding the strike zone. A sacrifice fly pushed the Cardinals’ lead back to two runs, and after a strikeout the inning was mercifully over.
With one out in the eighth Torkelson walked again, but Báez flailed at an outside slider and Jones foul-tipped a high fastball into the catcher’s mitt. So much for that.
Riley O’Brien — tell me he shouldn’t have an auto-parts store named after him, I dare you — came on for the ninth and got three quick outs and everyone went home for hot cocoa.
(Catch the slightly-cleaned-up movie reference there?)
Notes and Observances
Look, you can make all the age-related quips you want about Justin Verlander injuring his hip. Goodness knows I already have, amongst my BYB colleagues. Did this joke involve a reference to a Werther’s Original? I won’t tell.
All joking aside, I’m older than Verlander, and I once had my back seize-up by getting out of my car in the parking lot at work. So for those of you younger than Verlander — a spry 43, merely a spring chicken — age is going to come for you, too, pal.
Did you see that Jo Adell of the Angels, playing right field, went over the fence to rob the Mariners of three home runs? And that the game ended up a 1-0 Angels victory? Holy mackerel! Do yourself a favour and go find that video clip. Hold on, here it is, and you are very, very welcome.
You really should be following the Artemis II mission around the Moon, and not just because one of the astronauts is from small-town southwestern Ontario like me.
On this day in 1974, Stephen King’s first novel, Carrie, was published for the first time. I think he’s done pretty well for himself in the ensuing years.
Both Lendeborg and Ball were left off their team's respective NCAA initial player availability reports that were released at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, per the NCAA's guidelines. There will be an additional player availability report released two hours before tomorrow night's tip-off inside Lucas Oil Stadium.
The Wolverines and the Huskies are set for an 8:50 p.m. ET tip-off on Monday. It's the first meeting between both since the 2015-16 season, when they met in the Bahamas for a multi-team event tournament in November.
Lendeborg sustained an injury with just under nine minutes left in the first half of the semifinal game when he appeared to twist his ankle after stepping on the foot of Wildcats forward Motiejus Krivas while going to the basket for a layup. It'd later be known that Lendeborg suffered a sprained MCL of his left knee and an injured ankle.
Ball told reporters on Sunday in Indianapolis that he sustained what UConn coach Dan Hurley described as a "some type of foot sprain," his injury in the first half when he got tangled up with Tarris Reed Jr. on a ball screen. He was seen in a walking boot on Sunday.
"I'm doing everything I can to prepare for tomorrow," Ball said on Sunday to reporters.
Here's a full look at both UConn and Michigan's initial injury report for Monday's national championship game:
Men's NCAA Tournament national championship game player availability report
Michigan
LJ Carson (OUT)
Winter Grady (OUT)
UConn
No one mentioned
Michigan-UConn national championship time, TV channel
Date: Monday, April 6
Time: 8:50 p.m. ET
TV channel: TBS | TNT | truTV
Streaming options: March Madness Live app | Sling TV
Michigan and UConn will tip off at 8:50 p.m. ET on Monday, April 6 inside Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. TBS will broadcast Monday's national championship game. There will be simulcast broadcasts on TNT and truTV as well. Streaming options for the game include the March Madness Live app (with a TV login) and Sling TV.
MONTREAL (AP) — Jacob Markstrom made 18 saves for his first shutout of the season and the New Jersey Devils beat Montreal 3-0 on Sunday night, ending the Canadiens’ eight-game winning streak hours after they clinched a second straight playoff spot.
The Canadiens got the playoff spot when Detroit lost 5-4 to Minnesota. They are the first Canadian team to secure a playoff berth this season.
Cody Glass, Timo Meier and Connor Brown scored for New Jersey as it fights to keep its slim postseason chances alive. Jack Hughes had two assists.
The Devils won their 11th consecutive game in Montreal, the longest active run in the NHL against a single opponent. The Canadiens haven’t beaten New Jersey at the Bell Centre since a 2-1 overtime victory on Dec. 14, 2017.
Jacob Fowler made 17 saves for Montreal. The Canadiens capped an undefeated five-game trip with a 4-3 shootout win over the Devils in New Jersey on Saturday.
Montreal’s Cole Caufield remained a goal short of 50 for the second straight game after scoring his 48th and 49th on Thursday night against the New York Rangers.
Meier scored on a tap-in midway through the first period after a shot from Hughes went through Fowler’s legs and hit the post. Glass burst through the neutral zone and beat Fowler late in the second.
DALLAS, TX - APRIL 5: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks drives to the basket during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on April 5, 2026 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
No Luka Dončić, no Austin Reaves, no problem. Cooper Flagg took center stage on Sunday in a nationally televised game as the Dallas Mavericks (25-53) outlasted the Los Angeles Lakers (50-28) at American Airlines Center, 134-128. The Mavericks had lost 14 straight home games entering the contest but finally broke through the night they faced a Lakers team whose top two scorers were on the bench injured.
Flagg killed the Lakers for 45 points and this time added nine rebounds and eight assists to lead Dallas past the hobbled Lakers. LeBron James scored 30 points and dished 15 assists for LA in the loss and came up one rebound shy of another triple-double in the loss.
Flagg started the game right where he left off after Friday’s 51-point outburst, hitting three of his first four shot attempts, including his first two over Jake LaRavia. His First 3-pointer was a make from the left corner just 3:19 into the game to give the rookie seven points as the Mavericks jumped out to an early 14-7 lead. That 6-for-9 night from distance on Friday wasn’t just an aberration, apparently.
Flagg was fouled by Luke Kennard on his second 3-point attempt of the game and hit all three free throws. When he’s not hesitant, he’s beginning to see that good things happen for the Mavs. He scored 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting in the first quarter, the most he’s scored in an opener this year on the most shot attempts he’s hoisted in an opener this year.
Klay Thompson nailed a 3-pointer near the top of the key with .7 seconds left in the first to give Dallas a 41-30 lead at the end of one. Dallas built a lead as large as 22 points early in the second quarter, going up 58-46 on Flagg’s fourth assist of the half for a Khris Middleton 3-pointer, but the Lakers outscored the Mavs 25-9 over the last eight-plus minutes of the second quarter to close it to 67-61 at halftime.
Dallas responded in the third quarter, behind 10 more points from Flagg and a late surge from Brandon Williams off the bench, and carried a 107-97 lead into the fourth. Los Angeles promptly cut that lead to five points, down 112-107 on LaRavia’s running dunk in transition on James’ 11th assist of the game with 8:45 left in the game.
Flagg is pissed
Flagg obviously did not appreciate the results of Friday’s ESPN straw poll among likely postseason award voters that saw Charlotte Hornets forward Kon Knueppel firmly in the lead in the Rookie of the Year race. He became the youngest player to eclipse the 50-point mark in an NBA game in a 138-127 loss to the Orlando Magic on Friday and followed that up with 45 against the Lakers.
His aim with six games left in the regular season was clearly to take all choice out of the voters’ hands. We’re watching this Pokemon morph into something inevitable before our very eyes.
Flagg scored 19 points in the first quarter, giving him a combined 43 points in his last two quarters following his 24-point explosion in the fourth quarter on Friday against Orlando. After making just 2-of-6 from the field in the second, Flagg scored 10 points in the third to give him 36 points in the game.
He drove past Jaxson Hayes on the Mavs’ first possession of the fourth for a bucket at the rim and a three-point play to put him at 39 points and give the Mavs a 112-100 advantage. He hit a turnaround jumper over Kennard with about four minutes to play to eclipse the 40-point mark for the second straight game — except on Sunday he added eight rebounds and nine assists to the stat line.
Gafford leaves with late injury
Gafford left the game and went straight to the locker room early in the fourth quarter after skying for a rebound over Rui Hachimura. He grabbed at his right shoulder as the Mavs played 4-on-5 basketball on the offensive end for one possession and was taken out of the game with 9:30 left to play.
The shoulder has bothered Gafford for the last couple of games. This season has been a rough one for Gafford, and it might be time to shelf him for the final four games of the season.
Williams and Washington show up late
Brandon Williams took off in the second half, helping the Mavs respond every time the Lakers made a run at the lead. He scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half with the Mavericks searching for offense down the stretch.
Still, the Lakers crept back within six points, down 121-115 with just over four minutes to play. Flagg was inserted back into the game and drew the defense to him, kicked it out to Washington waiting along the sideline and watched as Washington sank his third 3-pointer of the game to give the Mavs some much-needed breathing room late in the proceedings. It was Flagg’s ninth assist.
Washington finished with 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting, and Williams chipped in 13 with five assists off the bench in the win.
That’s how the Rangers went about their business in a back-to-back slate this weekend against two teams in the thick of the Eastern Conference wild-card race. After defeating the Red Wings on Saturday afternoon, the Blueshirts clobbered the Capitals 8-1 on Sunday night in what was an extremely consequential game for Washington.
The Blueshirts were officially eliminated from playoff contention over a week and a half ago, but they’ve been playing better hockey and winning more than they have all season long.
“There’s no easy games, but obviously teams that have that sense of desperation and really something to play for, I think, shows that we haven’t really gave up on the year and packed it in,” said Adam Fox, who, along with Will Cuylle and Mika Zibanejad, led the Rangers with three points. “Like we said, we’re still trying to build on something and gain momentum and establish something here that we can take positively into the summer and build on that.”
It’s great to see.”
New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (L) makes a save on a tipped shot by Washington Capitals left wing Aliaksei Protas (C) in the second period at Madison Square Garden in New York, USA, Sunday, April 05, 2026. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
I think the group’s done a great job since the break of just being focused, trying to come out and compete and just play hard and try and build on that.”
Sunday’s win was their fifth in the past six games. It marked their largest win of the season.
The Rangers are playing like a team that’s on the same page.
The young players have made a world of difference in the lineup and in the locker room. They’re fighting — literally and figuratively — for the Rangers crest and for each other.
Conor Sheary (R) scores past Washington Capitals goaltender Charlie Lindgren in the first period at Madison Square Garden in New York, USA, Sunday, April 05, 2026. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
Cuylle posted his first career hat trick and finished the game one assist shy of a Gordie Howe hat trick. The 24-year-old wing scored two of the Rangers’ five goals in the second period before he dropped the gloves with Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun.
In addition to Cuylle, Tye Kartye and Noah Laba also dropped their gloves during the contentious matchup.
“It’s great to have it in a game like today where we had a full 60-minute effort from everyone, everyone contributing,” Cuylle said. “I’m just happy with the result.”
Conor Sheary may have had the slowest start of any Ranger, but he’s finishing strong.
Mika Zibanejad and Washington Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun skate for the puck in the first period at Madison Square Garden in New York, USA, Sunday, April 05, 2026. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
Notching his sixth goal since March 10, the 33-year-old cleaned up a loose puck in front to open the scoring 23 seconds into the game. It was Sheary’s third goal in the past five games and 17th point through 58 games.
The Rangers simply owned the second period.
More than doubling Washington’s shots on goal in the middle frame, 16-7, the
The home team exploded for five goals in the second period. Two scores on the power play bookended the surge, with J.T. Miller registering his 17th goal of the season before Fox capped the lopsided period.
“I think our guys have something to play for, and that’s how they’re approaching it,” head coach Mike Sullivan said. “We’re playing some pretty good teams that have a lot at stake. I think we beat some pretty good teams lately. I think that’s just a testament to how hard our players are competing out there. I think we’re trying to build a team game and we’re trying to stack some wins on top of each other where we can continue to define, refine what Rangers hockey looks like.”
The 5-4 loss suffered by the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday afternoon against the Minnesota Wild may prove to be the one that hurts the most in what has been a string of disappointing setbacks.
The Red Wings, who trailed entering the third period 4-1, mounted a furious comeback rally attempt to knot the score at 4-4. But a careless penalty from veteran Patrick Kane, who had tied the game just minutes earlier, proved disastrous.
Star forward Kirill Kaprizov completed his sixth career hat trick on the ensuing power-play with 1:51 left in regulation, breaking the 4-4 stalemate with what proved to be the game-winner.
For the sixth time in their last eight games, the Red Wings walked away with zero points in the standings. That setback, combined with the victory by the Ottawa Senators over the Metropolitan Division-leading Carolina Hurricanes later in the day, put a serious dent in Detroit's fading playoff chances.
Even more disappointing was that the Red Wings managed just eight shots on goal through the first 40 minutes of play, while their undisciplined puck play led to prime chances for the Wild, which they converted.
"My thoughts, I guess to put it gently, is it's really disappointing," explained head coach Todd McLellan afterward. "Fifteen seconds in (after the start of the second period), we win a draw, and we're getting scored on because we, what word do I use, lollygag around and don't advance the puck."
"So now it's in our net, and our team right now, as soon as it doesn't go our way, we crumble for a while, and then we pick ourselves up off the mat, but it's too late, and we did it again today. Pattern."
While Detroit struck first shortly after the opening puck drop, it was their only shot on goal for the first 14 minutes of the opening frame. When the Wild led 4-1 late in the period, it marked the fifth time in their last seven games that they had trailed by at least three goals.
Despite the valiant comeback effort, it proved for naught after Kane's needless penalty, in which he tripped Quinn Hughes well away from the play, that ultimately proved to be the difference.
“It hurts, it hurts," McLellan said about that play. "We get the comeback, and we take a penalty 150 feet from our net, not even in the play. It hurts."
Time is quickly running out for the Red Wings, who will own the NHL’s longest playoff drought if they fall short this season, now that the Buffalo Sabres have ended theirs.
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Apr 5, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) controls the ball as Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) defends during the first half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
After a whirlwind weekend, the shorthanded Lakers gave it a go in Dallas but a huge start from the Mavs paved the way for them to pick up a 134-128 win.
Behind Cooper Flagg, who finished with 45 points, the Mavericks raced out to a lead as large as 22 points at 58-36 in the first 15 minutes of the game. While the Lakers got back into the game and got with a possession multiple times, they could never get over the hump.
With both Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves out for the foreseeable future, the Lakers had a lot of figuring out to do and struggled at times throughout the day. Points off turnovers also crushed the Lakers as Dallas turned 12 LA turnovers into 21 points.
It was a very slow start offensively for the Lakers with possessions alternating between awkward misses and turnovers. The lone points through the opening nearly four minutes was a Rui Hachimura corner 3-pointer as LA trailed 10-3.
Back-to-back LeBron drives and finishes ignited the Lakers’ offense a bit, but Dallas immediately scored on each successive possession, forcing an early timeout from head coach JJ Redick with LA down 14-7.
LeBron and Rui were all the Lakers had offensively, carrying the Lakers back into the game at 22-21. Dallas responded with a Cooper Flagg-led run as he scored 19 first-quarter points. A Klay Thompson three at the first quarter buzzer gave Dallas a 41-30 lead heading into the second period.
Empty possessions from the Lakers to open the period allowed the Mavericks to continue punishing the Lakers, extending their lead to 48-30 before Redick called another timeout.
Flagg’s stepback 3-pointer out of the break extended Dallas’ run to 13-0 as the deficit reached 21 points. Even when LA scored, which they did on a pair of Hayes free throws, a LeBron turnaround and a Hayes layup, they were not getting any stops defensively to allow them to cut into the deficit.
Eventually, LA got a couple of those stops, leading to consecutive dunks from LeBron to cut the deficit to 14 and force the Mavs into a timeout. LeBron continued doing all he could, knocking down a three, extending a stretch in which he scored or assisted on the Lakers’ last 17 points.
That run only ended because he checked out of the game, but Rui picked up the scoring burden with a baseline jumper. Redick was playing an extended rotation with Nick Smith Jr. coming in late in the second as the 11th player to see time for LA. The only active players who did not play in the first half were Adou Thiero and Dalton Knecht.
Late in the half, Luke Kennard knocked down a corner 3-pointer before LeBron converted on an and-one in transition, trimming the lead all the way down to six points heading into the half.
Via Mike Tirico on the NBC broadcast, this is the 1st time in NBA history that a teenager and a player over 40 have had 20 points apiece in the same NBA game. It happened in the first half.
LeBron (age 41) had 22 points on 9 of 11 FG's. Cooper Flagg (19) had 26 on 9 of 16 FG's.
LA outscored DAL 25-9 over the final 8:38 of the first half. LeBron James scored or assisted on 18 of those points. He’s up to 22 points and 4 assists. Rui Hachimura has 14 pts. Luke Kennard has 7 asts. TOs and fast-break points have kept DAL ahead.
A run featuring baskets from Kennard, Deandre Ayton, LaRavia and LeBron to open the third made it a two-point game. Flagg was not slowing down on the other end as he reached 30 points for the 10th time this season, keeping Dallas up by five.
PJ Washington, Naji Marshall and Daniel Gafford combined for Dallas’ next run to force another Lakers timeout.
Kennard secured his first career triple-double with a lob to Ayton, but it was the only basket amidst a Mavs’ run that extended the lead to double digits again. A LaRavia step-back 3-pointer to beat the shot clock buzzer cut it to six again, but Flagg had an and-one on the other end in response.
A lack of stops defensively made it a struggle for the Lakers once more, one that was exasperated by LeBron heading to the bench late in the period as the lead reached 11 again. LA survived as long as it could before bringing LeBron back, but LA could never mount a run as Dallas led 107-97 going into the fourth.
Third quarter: Mavs 107, Lakers 97
LA has hung around but not been able to get over the hump whenever they’ve been within a few points. LeBron has 25/5/9. Luke Kennard has his first career triple-double (11/12/10). Jaxson Hayes has provided a big boost with 15 pts off the bench.
Hayes tipped in a basket to open the fourth, but back-to-back baskets from Dallas had the lead at 13 points. LA got to the line on consecutive trips to make it a seven-point game again and a no-look fastbreak dish from LeBron to LaRavia forced a Mavs timeout at 112-107.
Turnovers continued to be a killer for the Lakers as Dallas had turned them in 21 points, the last two coming off an errant Hayes pass that led to a Washington layup and a Lakers timeout with LA down nine points again.
A back-breaking sequence saw the Mavs get multiple second-chances before a Washington layup put them up 10. A pair of freebies from LaRavia and an and-one dunk from Hayes pulled LA back within five with just over four minutes remaining.
LA’s run was short-lived as Washington hit a corner 3-pointer and Flagg returned to the game for a turnaround jumper over Kennard to give him 41 points and put Dallas up 10 with 3:26 left, effectively icing the game. The Lakers’ offense struggled to find consistent baskets and fouls at the end of the game just delayed the inevitable as the Mavs picked up the win.
Key Player Stats
LeBron did all he could on the night, finishing with 30 points on 12-22 shooting with nine rebounds and 12 assists. Kennard notched his first career triple-double with 15 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists.
Rui’s hot start saw him finish with 21 points. Hayes had 23 points off the bench and Deandre Ayton tallied 13 points. LaRavia finished with 14 points.
The Lakers will host the Thunder on Tuesday with tip-off set for 7:30 p.m. PT.
NEW YORK (AP) — Charlie Lindgren allowed eight goals on 32 shots as the defense melted down in front of him, and the Washington Capitals blew a major opportunity to keep pace in the Eastern Conference playoff race by losing to the already-eliminated New York Rangers 8-1 on Sunday night.
They now face a daunting task to get in: three points back with four games left to play. The Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers are ahead of them in the chase for third in the Metropolitan Division, with those teams plus the Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators also in the way for the East’s second and final wild card spot.
That precarious position made this close to a must-win game for Washington, and it got off to a rough start. Former Capitals winger Conor Sheary scored 23 seconds in against Lindgren, who was making his first start since March 12 after Logan Thompson played the previous 10 games.
After going into the first intermission tied, following a breakaway goal from Connor McMichael, the bottom fell out in the second period.
A second consecutive delay of game penalty for putting the puck over the glass 7 seconds after the first expired paved the way for a Rangers power-play goal when Mika Zibanejad’s shot banked in off J.T. Miller’s left skate. Will Cuylle scored twice over the ensuing six minutes, and goals by Adam Sykora and Adam Fox put the deficit out of reach.
Cuylle completed his first NHL hat trick with 31.5 seconds left, Vincent Trocheck scored earlier in the third and Igor Shesterkin made 20 saves for the Rangers, who won for the fifth time in six home games. They had just nine victories at Madison Square Garden in their first 34 before this homestand began.
Up next
Capitals: Visit the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night.
Rangers: Host the playoff-bound Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday in their home finale.
MONTREAL (AP) — Jacob Markstrom made 18 saves for his first shutout of the season and the New Jersey Devils beat Montreal 3-0 on Sunday night, ending the Canadiens' eight-game winning streak hours after they clinched a second straight playoff spot.
The Canadiens got the playoff spot when Detroit lost 5-4 to Minnesota. They are the first Canadian team to secure a playoff berth this season.
Cody Glass, Timo Meier and Connor Brown scored for New Jersey as it fights to keep its slim postseason chances alive. Jack Hughes had two assists.
The Devils won their 11th consecutive game in Montreal, the longest active run in the NHL against a single opponent. The Canadiens haven’t beaten New Jersey at the Bell Centre since a 2-1 overtime victory on Dec. 14, 2017.
Jacob Fowler made 17 saves for Montreal. The Canadiens capped an undefeated five-game trip with a 4-3 shootout win over the Devils in New Jersey on Saturday.
Montreal's Cole Caufield remained a goal short of 50 for the second straight game after scoring his 48th and 49th on Thursday night against the New York Rangers.
Meier scored on a tap-in midway through the first period after a shot from Hughes went through Fowler’s legs and hit the post. Glass burst through the neutral zone and beat Fowler late in the second.
Apr 5, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano (11) pitches in the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
The Colorado Rockies are now through 12 games of the 2026 season. While we are clearly still working with small sample sizes in terms of performance data, which offseason MLB acquisition do you think has been the most successful so far?
Consider some of the choices:
Valente Bellozo
Brenan Bernadino
Willi Castro
Michael Lorenzen
Jake McCarthy
Troy Johnston
Edouard Julien
José Quintana
T.J. Rumfield
Tomoyuki Sugano 菅野 智之
Brett Sullivan
This is probably a question we’ll return to as the season unfolds, but let us know in the comments what you think.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - APRIL 5: Brice Sensabaugh #28 of the Utah Jazz handles the ball while being defended by Luguentz Dort #5 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first half at Paycom Center on April 5, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 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 Joshua Gateley/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I was very tempted to tally every Jazzman tonight to a D or lower, but I had to remind myself who we’re dealing with. No one who is sane thought there was possibly a conceivable chance that the Jazz could have the hope of maybe winning this game by a long shot. The Jazz defense crumbled under OKC’s 24 triples on 53.3% efficiency. They withstood a crushing 146-111 defeat in the Thunder’s territory.
It was a one-sided battle that the Jazz knew they needed to give up. No more funny business. It was time for the most brutal psychological battle with the Sacramento Kings. The constant looming threat of falling out of the top-3 puts both teams at a deadlock, to lose out on the rest of the season or pray for what comes after. Or at least, that’s what it is in theory, because no one on this planet has any idea what the Kings are doing.
Despite the lack of excitement for what was displayed on the court Sunday night, I shall do my due diligence to rate these players fairly, who are mentally strong enough to consider playing, despite knowing that all their hopes of victory were pointless.
Brice Sensabaugh – A
I will never stop believing in Brice Sensabaugh, and 34-point nights while attempting to maintain a respectful score against an OKC juggernaut is going to help the case. He locked onto catch-and-shoot threes, attacking the basket when it was open. We shall forgive your defensive sins on Resurrection Sunday.
Kyle Filipowski – B+
There’s no doubt that Flip’s been on a heater, scoring 22.6 points per game and 9.2 rebounds per game before tonight. This is no longer the same player who looked invisible out there on the floor. You could say he…flipped expectations. No? I’ll see myself out.
After a slow start, Filipowski stringed together his third double-double in four games. He battled against the 7-foot towers — Chet and Hartenstein — that await him inside the paint. It was some ugly efficiency, netting 8 of 20 shots and shooting 0 of 5 from beyond the arc, but I’m leaving this disaster with something.
Ace Bailey – B+
A quiet night for Ace Bailey, sporting 14 points, 2 assists and 3 stocks in 33 minutes. I am, however, going to bump him up an entire grade for this beautiful chase-down block.
Have a feeling we'll be seeing more of these chasedown blocks from Ace Bailey in the years to come… pic.twitter.com/uLyeCL72SH
I am now under the expectation that Cody Williams is a 20-point player, and I will not be convinced otherwise. When he doesn’t hit that benchmark, I won’t be so lenient. Only 8 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists on 3-11 shooting for the family member of Jalen Williams today.
When is the next time you’re going to see Cody first-option hoops? These are limited opportunities he has to take advantage of.
Oscar Tshiebwe – C+
There’s tanking. Then there’s the anomaly known as Oscar Tshiebwe. He put up a triple-single 4-4-2 in 20 minutes as a starter. I don’t blame him for what he could produce when matched up against the basketball equivalent of the Galactic Empire, but his time on the Jazz is dwindling.
SVIATOSLAV MYKHAILIUK – B+
Float like a butterfly, sting like a Svi. It was an explosive 11-point first half for him, but the basketball gods were not in Svi’s favor in the latter, shooting 2-7 from the field in the second half. Whether we see him in Utah’s final three games of the season is up in the air. But if this was it, it was an honor, Mr Mykhailuk.
Kennedy Chandler – C-
Chandler got the short end of the stick after his first single-digit performance back on Friday. His second 10-day contract tenure could not be going worse. 5 points and 5 assists in 20 minutes.
John Konchar – A
Konchar plays a simple, straightforward brand of basketball. Thus, I shall grade him based on his elite simplicity: 9 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 5 steals. He stuck to his strengths and is proving his worth for a roster spot next season.
Sacramento Kings – A+
None of what you just witnessed tonight would have been possible without the help from Sacramento, who are now tied for the fourth-best odds. Truly, thank you, Kings, for playing a 36-year-old DeMar DeRozan in an April game against the Pelicans.
