His "quiet" November game against the Wolves was still 27-12-11, which is all that’s needed this afternoon. Jokic leads the NBA with 34 triple-doubles this season and has averaged 35-15-11 against this exact opponent this season.
Like most NBA defenses, Minnesota has no answer for Jokic, and getting plus-money for something he does nearly every other game feels like a good play this afternoon.
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Prime Video
Prop #2: Nickeil Alexander-Walker Over 3.5 made threes
The Hawks guard averaged 3.2 made threes per game this season and drained 4-plus in 29 of 78 games on nearly 40% shooting from downtown.
The Knicks come into the playoffs allowing made threes at a 38.1% clip over their final 15 games. We’re getting plus money on what is essentially his floor, which is exceptional value.
Time: 6:00 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Prime Video
Prop #3: Kevin Durant Over 24.5 points
-110 at bet365
Houston Rockets legend Kevin Durant's two quiet games against the Los Angeles Lakers in March came with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves healthy, but both are out tonight, and it's all systems go for the Slim Reaper.
Instead of competent defenders, Durant will draw the likes of Jake LaRavia, Rui Hachimura, and Jarred Vanderbilt, which should make him smile.
Durant has scored at least 25 points in four of his last five games and is fresh off a week's rest and fully motivated for his first playoff series with Houston.
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Our Raptors vs. Cavaliers computer picks and NBA picks for April 18 are led by Immanuel Quickley.
Raptors vs Cavaliers computer picks for April 18
Raptors
Cavaliers
Quickley o11.5 points -115
Merrill o9.5 points -105
Quickley o4.5 assists +122
Mitchell u27.5 points -115
Ingram u21.5 points -120
Mobley o16.5 points -115
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Raptors computer picks
Immanuel Quickley Over 11.5 points (-115)
Projection: 14.7 points
Immanuel Quickley is projected to beat this line by over three full points, good for a +27% EV edge.
"The matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers is a strong one for 3-point shots; the opposition's starting PGs have compiled the 2nd-highest three percentage in the NBA this year (41.4%)."
span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet Quickley Now at bet365!/span
Immanuel Quickley Over 4.5 assists (+122)
Projection: 5.1 assists
With a nearly +21% EV edge, this Quickley prop is a four-star play.
"The Toronto Raptors will likely see a spike in opportunities today from squaring off against the 10th-most up-tempo tempo home team in the NBA over the last 5 games (the Cavaliers)."
span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet Quickley Now at bet365!/span
Brandon Ingram Under 21.5 points (-120)
Projection: 19.9 points
Our computer is bullish on Quickley but bearish on Brandon Ingram, expecting him to fall 1.6 points shy of today's betting line.
"This year, the other team's starting SFs have tallied 3.9 three attempts per game (3rd-fewest in the league) against the Cleveland Cavaliers, labeling this as a difficult matchup."
span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet Ingram Now at bet365!/span
Cavaliers computer picks
Sam Merrill Over 9.5 points (-105)
Projection: 10.8 points
Sam Merrill has cleared this line in seven of his last 10 games, and our system believes home court will help him reward Over bettors again.
"As it relates to scoring, the Cleveland Cavaliers's stellar 121.9 points per game with the home court advantage measures as the 2nd-strongest in the league over the last 25 games."
span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet Merrill Now at bet365!/span
Donovan Mitchell Under 27.5 points (-115)
Projection: 25.5 points
Our computer believes Donovan Mitchell won't have an easy time of things from 3-point land, which will lead to him falling short of his scoring prop today.
"The matchup vs. Toronto is a hard one for shots from behind the three-point arc; when the Raptors are the visiting team, opposing starting SGs have averaged the 2nd-least 3-point attempts per game in the league this year (4.3)."
span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet Mitchell Now at bet365!/span
Evan Mobley Over 16.5 points (-115)
Projection: 18 points
Evan Mobley has gone Over this line in 14 of his last 19. Our system is calling for 18 points from the Cleveland big man, good for a +14.1% EV edge.
span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet Mobley Now at bet365!/span
How to watch Raptors vs Cavaliers tonight
Location
Rocket Arena, Cleveland, OH
Date
Saturday, April 18, 2026
Tip-off
1:00 p.m. ET
TV
Prime Video
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This Sunday night, the NBA Playoffs return to NBC Sports for the first time since 2002, and make their debut on Peacock. It all starts at 6:30 PM ET when the Orlando Magic take on the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena. Then, at 9:00 PM, it's the Portland Trail Blazers vs San Antonio Spurs. Live coverage begins at 6:00 PM with NBA Showtime. See below for additional information on how to watch the 2026 NBA Playoffs on NBC and Peacock.
Jrue Holiday added 21 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists in the win.
“We kept our composure,” said Avdija. “I feel like we showed character today. We showed growth. We showed we’re capable of keeping our composure and making winning plays. We didn’t give up the whole game. That’s what matters.”
“It’s the culmination of a tough year,” said Blazers acting coach Tiago Splitter.“But this group is very resilient. I think we showed that in the fourth quarter, just believing in ourselves and getting it done. I’m happy for them. They went through a lot throughout the season, and to be in the playoffs is a great accomplishment for this group.”
Splitter took over after head coach Chauncey Billups was arrested on October 23.
The San Antonio Spurs, making their return to the playoffs for the first time since 2019, won 62 games to finish second in the Western Conference.
Victor Wembanyama has been a cornerstone for San Antonio, averaging career highs in scoring (25.0 ppg) and rebounding (11.5 rpg) while leading the league with 3.1 blocks per game in just 29.2 minutes per game.
The Spurs have won two of three games against the Trail Blazers this season, including a 112-101 victory on April 8. Wembanyama did not play in any of those games.
NBC Sports will present up to 23 games in the First Round and 11 games in the Conference Semifinals across either NBC and Peacock, or Peacock and NBCSN. Playoff programming concludes with exclusive coverage of the Western Conference Finals on NBC and Peacock
Which playoff rounds will be available on Peacock?
Peacock’s NBA Playoffs coverage spans multiple rounds, including Round 1, the Conference Semifinals, and the Western Conference Finals, with coverage evolving as the postseason progresses.
Will Peacock show both Eastern and Western Conference playoff games?
Yes. During earlier rounds such as Round 1 and the Conference Semifinals, Peacock will carry a mix of Eastern and Western Conference playoff games.
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Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three Monday night games each week throughout the regular season. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presents doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game on NBC stations in the Pacific and often Mountain time zones.
Check local listings each week. Both games will stream live nationwide on Peacock. Sunday Night Basketball coverage will also be available on NBC and Peacock. For a full schedule of the NBA on NBC and Peacock, click here.
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NBA on NBC 2025-26 Schedule:
Click here to see the full list of NBA games that will air on NBC and Peacock this season.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - APRIL 17: Masataka Yoshida #7 of the Boston Red Sox reacts with Roman Anthony #19 after hitting a walk-off single during the 10th inning of a game against the Detroit Tigers on April 17, 2026 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
You know how sometimes you hear a statistic that feels so outrageous you have have to dig into the details and verify it yourself? Well, Chris Cotillo dropped one of those last night when he tweeted this after the Red Sox 1-0 win in ten innings:
Red Sox have seven wins wearing the green uniforms — and all seven are walk-offs.
Now let’s be clear, the Red Sox don’t always win when they wear these uniforms (they’re 7-5 overall in the Fenway greens), but when they do, they always hit a walk-off. For more context on how outrageous this stat is from Cotillo, let’s think about how common walk-offs are across the MLB landscape. On average, teams have hit about seven walk-offs per season over the last 30 years, but since you can only hit a walk off at home and you only win on average a little over half of those 81 games each season, the odds of any random win at home being a walk-off are actually about one in six. (Think somewhere in the ballpark of about seven times out of 42 for simplicity’s sake.)
So now let’s apply the math. The odds of hitting something with a one in six chance seven times in a row? One in 279,936. That’s the absurdity of what the Red Sox are doing in these green uniforms!
So with something so rare and majestic ongoing, let’s relive the magic up to this point, starting with the first Red Sox walk-off in these uniforms back in May of last year:
The streak began in rather unusual and innocuous fashion with no real sign of what was to come. The Red Sox actually lost their first ever game wearing these green uniforms on May 16th to Atlanta, but their mere presence must have awakened something in the old ballpark, because the very next night, the Red Sox (back in their regular uniforms) came from 5-0 down to beat the Braves 7-6 in walk-off fashion.
The next time they were supposed to wear the green uniforms was the following Friday on May 23rd, but bad weather disrupted the start of a four game series against the Orioles and postponed the Thursdays game, which completely shuffled the deck. As a result, the Sox ended up playing a double header on Saturday, and the first game played that day became the green uniform game of the series, which is the walk-off highlight you see above.
Three weeks later, a more traditional pattern would start to settle in.
Like most things that turn into a huge deal, the Red Sox walk-off streak of wins in the greens should have been cut off before it got rolling. This is the game Garrett Crochet nearly threw a complete game shutout, but Aaron Judge got him with a game tying homer in the ninth. With context, we now know all that did was allow Carlos Narvaez to continue the green walk-off streak in extras.
If there’s a signature game in these uniforms, I’d argue it’s this one. Between the way this ninth inning unfolded, the way the win was also part of a four game sweep and a ten game winning streak, the way Roman Anthony walked, the way this ball was absolutely clobbered, the fact this might be Dave O’Brien’s best call ever, and of course the way Ceddanne Rafaela reacted, was all just pure cinema!
What would an electric Red Sox streak be without Roman Anthony right in the middle of it? He had been in the majors for less than two months at this point, and looked incredibly comfortable throughout this at bat.
I think this is the point where people really started catching on to the green uniforms and their walk-0ff magic. The summer wasn’t even over and the Sox had walked off five times in an outfit that only made its debut in May.
This was the perfect explanation point on a season that got Boston back in the playoffs for the first time in four years. Unfortunately, there weren’t any postseason games played at Fenway Park, which obviously also means the 2025 list ends here.
But with a new season, we have a continuation of the streak. The Red Sox wore their greens for the first time in 2026 last night, and so far, everything seems to be carrying over. It’s also a fun little nugget that the guy who wears No. 7 delivered the hit that extended this streak to seven.
So with that, you might be wondering … “When do the Red Sox play in their green uniforms again?” Well, as long as they stick to their usual pattern, it will be on their next Friday night home game, which is set for May 1st against the Astros. If they win in walk-off fashion again on that night for the eighth time dressed in green, that one in 279,936 from above becomes one in 1,679,616. You could start a religion out of this.
BOSTON, MA - MARCH 6: Jaylen Brown #7 and Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics talk during the game against the Dallas Mavericks on March 6, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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
Welcome to one of the larger and more preposterous playoff preview power poll projects I’ve ever attempted. We are ranking the Top 50 players in the NBA Playoffs, an utterly ridiculous effort that is, frankly, not possible to do responsibly. There is no methodology so sound that one person can rank 50 people; there is no theory so ironclad that it can avoid the rampant, harmful subjectivity of the recesses of my troubled mind. So, without meaningfully explaining my definition of “Top 50” or a philosophy of value or any kind of scientific method, I’m going to do it anyway. Also check out our rankings of every team in the field by their championship chances.
In an effort to not make this a million words, I have only given the Top 25 (spoiler alert: it’s actually 26, you’ll see why) players their own blurbs, and then grouped the back 25 (spoiler alert: it’s 24) together in some loose categories that I think capture the spirit of the exercise. In any case, lots about this will be demonstrably wrong, and I apologize that there is absolutely no way to avoid that. Onwards!
The best player in the world until someone else feels sufficiently inevitable with the ball in their hands. Shai has achieved peak scoring excellence in that you just think his shot is always going in, and he scores at a volume, efficiency and location (over 77 percent of his shots are twos and he shoots 55.3 percent from the field … he’s a guard!) that simply shouldn’t be possible. He has the belt.
2. Nikola Jokic
Made up award: The Novak Djokovic Lifetime Achievement Award for Serbian Sports Excellence
I debated whether Jokic or Victor Wembanyama would get the second spot, but their majestic head-to-head battle clinched it for the Joker. The San Antonio Spurs are contenders for a number of reasons, the biggest (and tallest) one being Wemby. The Denver Nuggets are contenders for one reason and one reason only: Jokic, who could enter some seriously hallowed all-time ground if he grabs a second ring in a stacked West.
3. Victor Wembanyama
Made up award: Voted “Most likely to record a quadruple double in the playoffs”
Wemby and his precarious health have been treated carefully this year to maximize his impact and longevity, but the kid gloves are going to have to come off eventually. When they do, he’s such an outlier that I would believe any statistical achievement if he plays 43 minutes. There have only been four quadruple doubles in NBA history, and yet I’d somehow be surprised if he wasn’t the fifth.
4. Luka Doncic
Made up award: The Bitcoin Award for Player Who Can Swing the Market the Most
Luka’s availability after an unbelievably poorly timed hamstring injury is the great question mark of these playoffs. If he can return, and actually be Luka Doncic, before the Lakers are eliminated? It’s a whole new ballgame for everyone.
5. Anthony Edwards
Made up award:The John Henry Award for Potentially Having to Dig a Tunnel through a Mountain
Edwards is everyone’s favorite young player who might be the next Michael Jordan — he’s electrifying and displays two-way brilliance that is rare for the modern scoring guard. But he has his work positively cut out for him in these playoffs, needing to shake off some late-season injuries and then probably beat Denver, San Antonio and OKC all in a row just to make the NBA Finals. Best of luck.
6. Donovan Mitchell
Made up award: The Ralph Fiennes “We need to get this guy an Oscar” Award
This is a guy who has made the playoffs every year of his career but never made the Conference Finals, so fans are crying out for him to please get some hardware this time around. I’ve always been bullish on Mitchell as an elite playoff guy, whose highs are high enough to beat literally anyone single-handedly. But he will need to do that consistently for once to get over the hump.
7. Cade Cunningham
Made up award: The Cade Cunningham “so likeable that his injury might kill the 65 game rule” Award
Everyone was so in agreement that Cunningham deserved to be on the All-NBA First Team that we all collectively freaked out about the 65-game rule to try to salvage his candidacy before he was granted an exemption (which is probably the best reason to kill the rule). Cunningham was the twin-turbo V8 engine that drove the Pistons to the number one seed, but may be leaned on too heavily to create shots with Detroit lacking a second scorer.
8. Jaylen Brown
Made up award: The Captain Phillips “I am the captain now” Award
Brown has improved his game in ways I simply did not believe were possible at this point in his career. With Jayson Tatum out most of the year, he proved he could be the First Violin in a world-class orchestra that’s about to go on tour. Truly a spectacular season for one of my favorite players.
9. Jalen Brunson
Made up award: The Second Round Pick Award for second-best second-round pick of all time
Behind only Nikola Jokic in second round pick achievement, Brunson is of course an elite first option, an elite shot creator and an elite foul-sponge, a critical skill in the playoffs with tighter whistles across the board. It’s worth wondering, though, if the Knicks can actually win the East with Brunson at this kind of usage. I think they can, but the rest of the roster will need to take on part of the burden.
10. Jayson Tatum
Made up award: The Patriots-Falcons 28-3 Super Bowl Award for Best Comeback
Almost an unfathomably great result for Tatum, who tore his Achilles less than a year ago and now stands poised for his 122nd career playoff game and counting. He and Brown are two of the most successful playoff guys in terms of number of games played to start their careers, and Tatum is a championship-winning first option when healthy. We shall see how much strain he’s ready to take.
11. Devin Booker
Made up award: The Damian Lillard “You might need to demand a trade at some point” Award
Booker seems committed to Phoenix financially and competitively, and it’s impressive work that such a flawed team made the playoffs. But the Suns spent all their draft capital and young pieces to build a team, tear it down and now is staring down mediocrity for the foreseeable future. There are plenty of ways to pivot around such a great player, but there’s a chance this gets 2021ish Damian Lillard. Just a chance.
12. Tyrese Maxey
Made up award: The Lightning McQueen “Ka-Chow” Award for Being Fast
There is no correlation between average player speed and… being a good player, which is why Maxey is my pick for fastest NBA player in lieu of data. This is purely in terms of visually explosive burst in transition and on drives. The Celtics have struggled to contain Maxey for years, and he is Philly’s singular win condition.
13. Kevin Durant
Made up award: The Al Horford “should we talk about how old this guy is more?” Award
Durant is still putting ball in hoop like no other in year 19 which is, somehow, still not discussed nearly enough. LeBron James cornered the market on “wow he’s how old” discussions, but Durant is casually averaging 26 a game in 36 minutes in 78 games played. In the playoffs, you often need a bucket. For all the stuff that comes with the Durant experience, he is still the bucket.
14. Jamal Murray
Made up award: The Jaylen Brown Award for scoring leap I didn’t see coming
Did you know this was Murray’s first career All-Star season? Somehow, some way, Murray became a far more efficient shooter this season and ratcheted up his scoring to over 25 a game. He and Jokic have a premier partnership that we already know can win a title. Will they win another?
15. Jalen Johnson
Made up award: The Casual NBA Fan award for “WHO are you saying is three whole spots better than LeBron?”
Many NBA fans may have missed this development, but Jalen Johnson has been soaring up the superstar boards all season, basically getting better and better for five straight years … all the way to somehow looking like an All-NBA first option. Trae Young’s departure took off the training wheels, and now we’re flying.
16. Chet Holmgren
Made up award: The Banana Boat Award for going from Third to Second Banana
Holmgren is a first-time All-Star who made a serious leap over Jalen Williams, whose injury-laden season saw Chet take on a bigger role. He’s a cornerstone defensive force and exactly what the Thunder need to dynasty this thing up.
17. Scottie Barnes
Made up award: The Eye Test Award for being better than your stats
Barnes’ Basketball Reference page doesn’t really suggest he improved much as a scorer, but he shot the ball much better and was a major part of a pretty spicy Toronto team that is looking to spoil some fun in Round One.
18. LeBron James
Made up award: The “Lock In” Award for potentially most epic lock-in
If LeBron James can carry the Los Angeles Lakers out of the first round without their two best scorers — Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves — that would be one of the premier lock-ins of all time. I’m a Celtics fan, but I’m going to be rooting for this.
19. James Harden
Made up award: The Lucy Pulling the Football Award for most consistent playoff disappointment
Not generally the most reliable guy in the playoffs, the Cleveland Cavaliers nonetheless traded Darius Garland for Harden in a last-ditch effort to salvage their meh season. It could work; Harden is a good player. But nothing historically suggests it will.
20. Jalen Duren
Made up award: The “Most Improved Player Award” Award for exemplifying what that award is supposed to mean
Duren almost doubled his scoring output this season and was the second-biggest reason the Pistons took the league by storm. He is a dominating force on the glass and a pretty solid interior scorer, given his complete lack of a jumpshot. I’m a big fan of Duren.
21. Deni Avdija
Made up award: The Zion Williamson “I’m going to the rim no matter what” Award
Deni isn’t Williamson, who actually does not shoot threes at all anymore by the way, but he is at his best when he is trying to get downhill on every possession. He was a one-man wrecking crew in the first Play-In game, but we will see if that works against Wembanyama, whose 872-foot wingspan might cause problems.
22. Karl-Anthony Towns
Made up award: The James Harden “not sure how reliable this guy is” Award
Towns’ playoff plus/minus stats are not what you want out of your supposed second option, but it has proved difficult for the Knicks to keep both he and Brunson on the court and survive defensively. To avoid becoming the next Harden, towns will need a moment.
23. Alperen Sengun
Made up award: The Kevin McHale Award for 2020s Post Bag
Sengun is a legitimately great post scorer in the year 2026, and it’s pretty fun to watch him eviscerate rim protectors who haven’t had to deal with that since 1987. Balancing his and Durant’s shot diets is the real challenge.
24. Stephon Castle
Made up award: The Jayson Tatum “he’s HOW young?” award for only being 21
Castle is so far beyond what I could have ever expected out of him at his age, and looks like a potential future star. To quote myself when I was talking about Roman Anthony, I am two years older than Stephon Castle. I am not old.
25. Evan Mobley
Made up award: The Not-Tim Duncan Award for player who is not Tim Duncan
One of my favorite niche NBA media moments of the last five years was this strange series of Bill Simmons podcasts circa 2022 where he and Ryen Russillo kept referring to Mobley as potentially the next Tim Duncan. I was also supremely in on Evan Mobley, and have not quite made back my investment either. He’s a really good player and a beast defensively, but he’s been too inconsistent, especially on offense, to go any higher.
26. Derrick White
(Bonus solo blurb, it was going to be the Top 25 get their own blurbs but I literally forgot about Jalen Brunson when I wrote this the first time and refuse to bump DWhite)
Made up award: The Matisse Thybulle Award for Blocking Threes
Derrick White has blocked nine threes this year. That isn’t quite the most, but he’s consistently up there in three-blocking, a skill that I’m just not sure how you teach or learn. Stuff like that is what makes White so valuable, because he’s also a great scorer and creator. What a player.
The “How healthy will you be?” Group
27. Austin Reaves
28. Jalen Williams
29. Aaron Gordon
Three players who are critically important to their respective teams that either haven’t been healthy for much of the year or may not be healthy going forward. Gordon and Williams seem fine at the moment, with Gordon in particular coming back in force, but none of their respective lineups are the same without them. Only the Thunder could hope to survive an extended absence of any of these three.
The “We need offense, do you have offense?” Group
30. Paolo Banchero
31. Julius Randle
32. De’Aaron Fox
33. Amen Thompson
Four guys that have had up and down offensive years and four guys who will have to be on the up part of the up and down for the playoffs if their team has any big-time goals. Specifically, I’m looking at Randle as a primo candidate to sink or swim his whole team. Edwards can’t be the only creator for Minnesota, since Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels are not reliable offensively. Thompson may get exposed for his poor shooting, but is capital R required for Houston with their relative lack of ball handlers.
The “Actually, we’re good on offense, can you just play defense?” Group
34. Rudy Gobert
35. OG Anunoby
Perhaps the two most important defensive players in these playoffs because of their matchups. Anunoby is going to have to guard some of the best wings in the league throughout the Knicks’ run, and the Eastern Conference might as well be a Wingstop with Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Scottie Barnes, Jalen Johnson, they’re everywhere. Gobert, meanwhile, has Wembanyama and Jokic coming at him like a train. He will have to go full Tobey Maguire Spider-Man to stop them.
The High Variance Group
36. Brandon Ingram
37. Franz Wagner
These guys could score in bunches and swing a series by themselves or completely disappear and … swing a series by themselves. Ingram is a player that I wasn’t particularly interested in anymore after his Pelicans tenure expired, but he had a really nice year in Toronto and got back to the All-Star game for the first time since 2020. Both these guys are important bucket-getters on teams without an embarrassment of creators, so lock in.
The Guy I Couldn’t Put in a Group
38. Joel Embiid
Embiid is a player I continue to feel bad for, and having an appendectomy right before the postseason is the worst luck imaginable for a guy who has had a career of the worst luck imaginable. I’ve tried to make this list relatively injury-agnostic, but I didn’t want to speculate at all for Embiid, whose playoff impact I can’t really measure or project whatsoever. So here he is in his own group, presented essentially without comment.
The Bucket of Wings
39. Nickeil Alexander-Walker
40. Mikal Bridges
41. Jaden McDaniels
It physically hurt me to put Alexander-Walker this low since he has more than doubled his scoring this season and is unironically shooting 50-40-90 Bridges and McDaniels are both critical players for their teams, but just feel like a lesser version of what they could be; especially Bridges, who was a legit first-option in Brooklyn for a minute there. But wings are king, and these guys will play a lot.
Important Players on Important Teams
42. Ausar Thompson
43. Jarrett Allen
44. Alex Caruso
A bit of a grab bag here, but these are essential players on teams with championship aspirations. Ausar is definitely still a work in progress offensively but he is also one of the best defensive players in the league, an accolade you could also toss on Caruso, a peak pot-stirrer that somehow makes all of his opponents worse at basketball. Allen, meanwhile, is battling a knee injury but is a massive non-negotiable for the Cavs given how small the rest of their lineup is.
The X-Factors
45. Dyson Daniels
46. Jrue Holiday
47. Naz Reid
48. Payton Pritchard
49. Isaiah Hartenstein
Quite the collection of dudes here, all of whom could be described as “oh (insert name from this group), I really like that guy.” They all play pretty different games, but their teams would not be the same without them.
It’s pretty funny that in a Top 50 players list I had a pretty easy time coming up with the Top 49 but really couldn’t pick the last guy in. This is basically the free space in bingo; just put whoever you want here. I, for one, really wanted to put Baylor Scheierman or Neemias Queta here, but decided against it. Let me know in the comments who you’d put at 50, and what I messed up. If everyone just agrees with me, something went horribly wrong.
The Philadelphia Flyers kick off their first-round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night. The Flyers will be aiming to secure a victory in Game 1.
The Flyers are entering the playoffs hot, as they won five out of their last six regular-season games. Flyers top prospect Porter Martone was certainly a reason behind this, as he was excellent for the Metropolitan Division after signing his entry-level deal.
In nine career NHL games for the Flyers, Martone had four goals, six assists, 10 points, and 16 hits. This included him ending the regular-season on a six-game point streak, where he scored all four of his goals and recorded five assists.
With how well Martone kicked off his NHL career this regular-season, it is hard not to feel optimistic about him heading into the playoffs. His hard-nosed style of play should make him a great fit for playoff hockey, and he should give the Flyers a major boost during the postseason because of it.
If Martone can continue to provide strong offense and physicality during the playoffs, it would be huge for a Flyers team that is looking to go on a run as big underdogs. Let's see how the Flyers' top prospect performs from here.
Bernd Leno saves the day for Fulham to secure draw that dents Brentford’s European ambitions
1 min Brentford kick off, lump the ball forward and Igor Thiago wins a corner!
“Given today’s match between two solid London sides,” says Peter O’Connor, “a poser. If there were an independent state of London, where would its football league figure among the Big Five European leagues?”
The NBA playoffs are here and make no mistake: Oklahoma City is the team to beat. The Thunder are the reigning champions and had the best record in the NBA despite a rash of injuries, including their second-best player from last season missing the majority of the season.
That doesn't mean they are invincible. San Antonio, Denver, Boston and others would have a shot, but they all have to make it to face OKC first. This is going to be a long and wild playoffs.
Here are my predictions for the 2026 NBA Playoffs.
First Round
Eastern Conference
• Detroit beats Orlando 4-1 • Boston beats Philadelphia 4-1 • New York beats Atlanta 4-3 • Cleveland beats Toronto 4-2
Atlanta is going to put a scare into New York (and an upset is not out of the question). This Hawks team had the third-best net rating in the league over the last two months, is fearless, has an All-NBA talent in Jalen Johnson, plus they have Nickeil Alexander-Walker and CJ McCollum giving them plenty of scoring, and Dyson Daniels locking guys down. The Knicks' bench and experience get them over the hump, but barely. Aside from that, Cleveland should look improved with its shrunken playoff rotation, and Boston and Detroit are just better than their opponents.
Western Conference
• Oklahoma City beats Phoenix 4-1 • San Antonio beats Portland 4-1 • Denver beats Minnesota 4-2 • Houston beats Los Angeles Lakers 4-2
The Suns played the Thunder tough in the regular season, but this isn't the regular season. Portland has interesting young athletes, San Antonio has better ones. The Lakers would have won this series if healthy, but at least Kevin Durant vs. LeBron James is always entertaining.
Denver vs. Minnesota is the best first-round series in either conference — a real rivalry between teams that match up well. Both teams are big, talented and know how to level up in the playoffs. I will take the consistency of Denver — and the way Nikola Jokic enjoys putting up numbers on Rudy Gobert.
Conference Semi-Finals
Eastern Conference
• Cleveland beats Detroit 4-2 • Boston beats New York 4-2
Do I feel comfortable picking a James Harden-led team to win a big playoff series? No. Not even close. However, styles make fights, and Detroit wants a low-scoring series where it gets its buckets in the paint, but Cleveland is waiting with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen to shut that down. If the Pistons win this series, it will be because Daniss Jenkins and Duncan Robinson stepped up big time. The Knicks vs. Celtics will be fun, but the Celtics have been the better team of late and will send the Knicks and their owner into a tailspin this offseason.
Western Conference
• Oklahoma City beats Houston 4-1 • Denver beats San Antonio 4-3
Denver vs. San Antonio is a coin flip, and maybe the experience factor does not matter — the Spurs don’t believe it does — but if forced to choose, I will bet on it and on the Nuggets' desperation for the win. That all depends on Aaron Gordon's hamstrings holding up, by the way. In the other West series, the Rockets are a flawed team and the Thunder will expose that.
Eastern Conference Finals
• Boston beats Cleveland 4-1
Cleveland has the talent to make this a tight seven-game series, but this is where I will no longer trust Harden and a Donovan Mitchell-led team to go any further. Especially against a team that has been there and done that.
Western Conference Finals
• Oklahoma City beats Denver 4-3
This is the real NBA Finals, and the Nuggets have a chance at the upset here (as will the Spurs if they outlast the Nuggets in the second round). That said, in the end, I will trust the depth and versatility of the defending champions, not to mention Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the clutch to get it done.
2026 NBA Finals
• Oklahoma City beats Boston 4-1
Boston is a very good team about to step into a bad matchup. Oklahoma City has more depth and versatility, more athleticism, and it has more high-level defenders to impede Boston's stars than any team in the league. OKC has one ring and is now playing for a legacy, and it knows that. Expect the Thunder to win this far more comfortably than they did in the Finals a year ago.
LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 02: Garret Anderson #9 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates after hitting the game winning base hit in the 14th inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium on June 2, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Garrett Anderson, who played the first 15 seasons of his career with the Angels and finished up with the Dodgers in 2010, died at age 53, the Angels announced on Friday.
Anderson was born and raised in Los Angeles, and played at Kennedy High School before getting drafted by the Angels in 1990. I first saw him play with the Class-A Palm Springs Angels in 1992. Anderson made three All-Star teams and drove in the go-ahead runs in Game 7 of the 2002 World Series to help clinch the Angels’ only championship.
With the Dodgers, a 38-year-old Anderson played sparingly, but did notably drive in the only run of a 14-inning win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on June 2, 2010. It marked the first time the Dodgers had won back-to-back 1-0 games for the first time in 26 years.
“You always hear, ‘Don’t meet your heroes,’” Freeman told The California Post. “But then I got to meet him, and I was like, ‘I’m glad I did.’ Because he was a beautiful man. And I wish he was still here. He meant a lot to so many people … I’m at a loss for words really.”
Hyeseong Kim talked to Jack Harris of the California Post about getting optioned to the minors at the beginning of the season, and his subsequent return two weeks ago when Mookie Betts was placed on the injured list. Manager Dave Roberts praised Kim’s swing, noting improvement from late in spring training: “I think he’s into the ground much better. I think the swing decisions are better mechanically. It looks great. So really proud of the work.”
Earlier Friday, Katie Woo at The Athletic noted the improvement of Tanner Scott, Alex Vesia, and Blake Treinen in the Dodgers bullpen in the first three weeks of the season. Through Friday, that trio has combined to allow only one run in 22 2/3 innings with a 27.7-percent strikeout rate.
The one thing that people can be proud of is that the Columbus Blue Jackets always put fans in the stands. We can argue about whether or not they deserve it, but that's an argument for another day.
Let's take a look at the attendance numbers for this past season.
Total Nationwide Arena Capacity: 18,500 - 14th highest in the NHL.
Total Fans For Season: 691,996 total fans came out to games - 24th in the NHL.
Average Attendance: 16,878 - 26th in the NHL.
Capacity % - 91.2% - 30th in the NHL
Sellouts - 16 - Most since the 2003-04 season (16).
Home Record - 20-13-8
Per NHL PR, the National Hockey League set a total attendance record for the 4th straight year, with a total of 23,158,522 fans passing through NHL doors. NHL teams played in front of an average of 17,651 fans, which comes out to 97.5% capacity.
Despite the CBJ not making the playoffs for the 6th straight year, attendance remains strong. Some fans see that as a bad thing and would like attendance to drop to get the owner's attention, whiles most choose to support the team no matter what.
No matter where you sit on the issue, there is no right or wrong answer. Support the team how you'd like, but more fans in seats means more money to spend on free agents and young future stars like Adam Fantilli, Denton Mateychuk, and Jet Greaves.
The fans of the Columbus Blue Jackets are loyal, loud, and love showing up at Nationwide Arena to watch their team play NHL Hockey.
With the excitement of the CBJ re-signing Head Coach Rick Bowness to a one-year contract, many fans said they'd come out to support the team next year, even after the epic collapse that cost them the playoffs. It's hard to imagine fans being excited about a head coach, but here we are.
Next Up For Columbus: The NHL Draft Lottery on May 5, 2025, where the CBJ will most likely pick 14 or 15.
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As they head into their first appearance in the Stanley Cup playoffs since 2020, it is becoming clear that the Philadelphia Flyers still don't have many believers out there.
Some of the skepticism is, of course, understandable. Veterans like Christian Dvorak, Noah Cates, and Dan Vladar all enjoyed career years, and the Flyers don't yet have a superstar in their ranks like many other contenders do.
That's exactly why national pundits--namely ESPN--have the Flyers on the outs before the puck is even dropped for Game 1 of the series with the Penguins.
In their recent preview, x-factor, and bold prediction story, ESPN's bold prediction is that the Flyers are swept by the Penguins. Here's the rationale:
"Vladar's lack of past playoff reps is exposed early, and the Flyers can't counteract with enough goal support. Coach Rick Tocchet does his best to shuffle the deck and keep Philadelphia alive, but it gets swept in the opening round," they wrote.
They were careful to note in the leadup, too, that Trevor Zegras, the team's No. 2 scorer with 67 points in 81 games this season, has never played in an NHL playoff game himself.
That is what makes the upcoming experience with the battle-hardened Penguins so valuable, even though the sentiment amongst the Flyers themselves is that they have been playing playoff hockey since the Olympic break.
There is some truth to that, as the Flyers were eight points back of the New York Islanders for third place in the Metropolitan Division with two games in hand back on Feb. 22.
As for the Penguins, they were still second in the division at that time and never relented, whereas the Flyers had to scratch and claw for it after a dismal winter stretch.
ESPN's prediction of the Flyers getting swept is interesting, if nothing else, due to the rivalry behind the series. It seems a near-impossible outcome, especially with the two sides finishing the regular season with very similar records.
The Flyers will get their first crack at proving the ESPN crew wrong when they face the Penguins at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh at 8 p.m. on Saturday night.
DENVER, COLORADO - APRIL 6: Aaron Gordon #32 of the Denver Nuggets reacts after a made three point shot in the second half against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena on April 6, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. 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 Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Flip on an NBA Finals game from the past decade, and you’re sure to see the Arizona men’s basketball program represented at the highest level of the sport.
For 11 straight years, a former Arizona player has coached or played in the NBA Finals. Whether that streak continues into 2026 will likely come down to whether the Western Conference Finals is won by the Oklahoma City Thunder or one of their competitors.
Five of the seven former Wildcats in this year’s NBA Playoffs are on Western Conference teams, with three of the top four seeds in the conference featuring an Arizona alum.
And while Arizona’s presence in the postseason isn’t as large as it could have been had the Warriors, Clippers or Heat advanced to out of the Play-In Tournament, the UA still has a respectable contingent.
Here are the former Arizona players in this year’s NBA Playoffs.
Aaron Gordon, Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets have been a mainstay near the top of the Western Conference over the last few years, in large part thanks to Gordon’s contributions. Denver didn’t quite as sharp for parts of this season, and one reason why is Gordon’s limited playing time due to a hamstring injury.
Fortunately for Denver, Gordon appears to be as healthy as he’s been all season. He played a season-high 41 minutes two weeks ago against the Spurs, a team that Denver could run into the Western Conference Semifinals.
Gordon is averaging 16.2 points and 5.8 rebounds this season.
The Nuggets begin their series against the Timberwolves on Saturday.
Deandre Ayton, Los Angeles Lakers
Ayton’s first season playing for the Lakers has been rocky at times, but as the playoffs begin Ayton appears fully locked in.
“I want to do backflips. I’m in the purple and gold, and I just want to really just play hard as hell to contribute to wins,” Ayton said this week.
Ayton, the Lakers’ starting center, has seen his scoring dip every month of the season. He’s averaging 12.5 points and 8 rebounds.
With the Lakers missing Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves to start the playoffs versus a gritty Rockets team, Ayton will need to be at his best for Los Angeles to have a shot at advancing.
The Lakers and Rockets begin their series on Saturday.
Carter Bryant, San Antonio Spurs
Bryant might be Arizona’s best chance of having a former player in the NBA Finals. San Antonio is the two seed in the Western Conference after fighting with OKC for supremacy the last several months.
Bryant has made solid contributions as a rookie reserve, averaging 4.2 points and 2.5 rebounds in 11 minutes per game.
Bryant got to see some extra playing time down the stretch of the regular season and made the most of it, scoring in double figures in three straight games.
The Spurs enter the playoffs with the second-best record in the NBA, only behind the Thunder.
The Spurs face the Trail Blazers beginning Sunday.
Zeke Nnaji, Denver Nuggets
Nnaji is competing in his sixth straight postseason with the Nuggets, and much like the last five trips it’s in a limited role.
Nnaji is averaging 3.7 points and 2.6 rebounds in 12 minutes per game. His playing time dropped precipitously in February, and a hip impingement injury in late March slowed him down even more.
While Nnaji did get a start in the Nuggets’ final game of the regular season, don’t expect to see him getting much run these playoffs.
Christian Koloko, Atlanta Hawks
Koloko bounced around multiple teams this season before settling with the Hawks. He has appeared in 13 games with Atlanta since late January.
Koloko, who is averaging 2.7 points and 3 rebounds, is unlikely to see meaningful minutes this postseason.
The Hawks take on the Knicks beginning Saturday.
Caleb Love, Portland Trail Blazers
Love made a big impact early in the year for Portland before getting sent down to the G League in February. Love is back with the Trail Blazers as they make their first playoff appearance since 2020-21.
Love has appeared in four games for Portland since late March, and it’s unlikely he’ll see much playing time in the playoffs.
For the season, he’s averaging 10.4 points and 2.5 assists across 49 games.
Dalen Terry, Philadelphia 76ers
If there’s a player on this list who is just happy to be here, it’s Terry. The reserve guard was sent from Chicago to Philadelphia at the trade deadline. Terry has made 11 appearances with the 76ers but last played significant minutes on March 23.
CINCINNATI, OHIO - APRIL 15: Jung Hoo Lee #51 of the San Francisco Giants is congratulated by his teammates after scoring a run during the second inning of the game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on April 15, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. All players are wearing the number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
Another week of San Francisco Giants baseball is drawing to a close, which means it’s time to pick our Player of the Week!
They say there’s a song for any and every occasion, and I guess the one for today is “Slim Pickins” by Sabrina Carpenter. Because there was not a lot to cheer for this week. As of the time this is being written, the Giants have lost every game so far this week.
But that doesn’t mean there aren’t silver linings, I guess. So I’m going to give the honors to Jung Hoo Lee this week. He has been heating up a bit over the last few games, and even got his first home run of the season in last Friday’s win over the Baltimore Orioles. The last recorded win as of the time this is being written. So that’s something to celebrate.
Who is your pick for Player of the Week?
What time do the Giants play today?
The Giants continue their series against the Washington Nationals today at 1:05 p.m. PT.
Just like that, there is no real reason to parse scoring stats for the Cubs anymore. With 33 runs over their last three games and 47 over five, they are now up to 106 runs in 19 games (~5.6/game). Last season, over the whole season, they averaged about 4.9 runs per game. Summer weather and rosters depleted by injuries and/or trades haven’t happened yet.
I know some were worried about the offense after an anemic open to the season, but just like that, the Cubs offense is clicking. To be fair, when they struggled over those early games, I noted that the distressing thing is that they really hadn’t had to go through very many elite pitchers. That was a daunting aside at that point. Now, through this earlier schedule, they’ve produced very well. The wear and tear of a season and those elite arms still lay ahead. But the Cubs offense has shown that they can be dangerous.
There is a lot of baseball to be played. I’m not going to be exuberant about things based off of three straight wins, just like I wasn’t in the doldrums when they had gotten off to a sluggish start. Even the worst teams look good sometimes and even the best teams look lousy sometimes. Through a little less than 15 percent of the season, the team is 10-9. Over 162 games, that would be an 86-win pace. I’m going to bet most of you won’t quibble that this team has felt like about an 86-win team over the course of the season.
The real question from here is does the team stay around that level? Or does this team take off from here? I’ve learned that, despite the marathon nature of baseball, a lot of fans suffer from a lot of recency bias. So this is a weird conversation for me to have with many of you. I thought they were a 90-95 win team before the season. So these three wins feel like some signal that they can be that kind of team. But if you thought they were an 80-85 win team, you are probably looking at the whole 19 and saying this is going to be a bumpy ride.
Either way, enjoy it when things swing up like this.
Three Positives:
Moisés Ballesteros had two hits, one a three-run homer that blew the game open early.
I love Nico Hoerner, he’s my favorite current Cub. That said, if I had to list Cubs who might put up MVP caliber numbers over a 20 game period, he’d be well down the list. I would be highly surprised to see a Hoerner like player do well in the MVP voting, but he’s having that kind of run right now. Three more hits, one more a homer and two more runs driven in. Second in all of baseball in RBI. Largely from the lead-off spot.
Michael Busch had two hits, a walk and scored twice. The numbers are rebounding some and I’m hoping the power numbers start to fall in place next.
Game 19, April 17: Cubs 12, Mets 4 (9-8)
GRAPH
Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.
THREE HEROES:
Superhero: Moisés Ballesteros (.226). 2-2, HR, 3 RBI, R
Hero: Nico Hoerner (.156). 3-5, HR, 2 RBI, R
Sidekick: Seiya Suzuki (.077). 2-5, 2B, RBI, 2 R
THREE GOATS:
Billy Goat: Carson Kelly (-.044). 1-4, R, DP
Goat: Pete Crow-Armstrong (-.030). 0-3, BB
Kid: Dansby Swanson (-.029). 1-2, BB, 2 R
WPA Play of the Game: Moisés Ballesteros hit a three-run homer with two outs in the first to add to an early 1-0 lead. (.206)
*Mets Play of the Game: Marcus Semien with runners at first and second and no outs in the second, scoring one and decreasing the Cub lead to three. (.122)
Cubs Player of the Game:
Game 18 Winner: Nico Hoerner received 145 out of 244 votes.
Up Next: Game two of the three-game set. Jameson Taillon (0-1, 4.86, 16.2 IP) makes his fourth start and seeks his first win. Old nemesis Freddy Peralta (1-1, 3.86, 21 IP) makes his first start as a Met against the Cubs. This is his fifth start for the Mets.
I have no objections to a fourth straight win. If the Mets want to implode, I’m definitely here for it.
Nikola Jokic
Nickeil Alexander-Walker
Kevin Durant 
Raptors
Cavaliers
Kurt Helin
Vaughn Dalzell
