LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 7: Rui Hachimura #28 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks to pass as he's defended by Draymond Green #23 and Brandin Podziemski #2 of the Golden State Warriors during the second half of an NBA game at Crypto.com Arena on February 7, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. 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 Kevin Terrell/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Lakers (50-29) will play their final road game of the regular season on Thursday against the Golden State Warriors (37-42).
The tail end of the regular season has been a miserable time for the Lakers. Since the calendar turned to April, it feels as if it’s just been one unfortunate thing after another. With the playoffs around the corner, the overall mood regarding this team has been trending down.
While Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves focus on getting right, the team will have to rely on LeBron James and the rest of the Lakers to try to stack wins while they are out.
The Warriors have less to fight for this late into the season since they’re pretty much locked into the 10th seed. Still, since Steph Curry just returned from injury, there’s a high chance that they’re going to want to play hard in this one to sharpen themselves and build enough reps just in time for the play-in tournament.
Note that the Warriors are coming off a victory against the Sacramento Kings, led by Curry and Brandin Podziemski. These two will likely lead the charge against the Lakers. Expect Golden State to want to put this game to bed early since they’re on the first night of a back-to-back.
As for the Lakers, well, what matters is that they at least try to make this one a competitive affair, just as they did in the first 20 minutes of their last game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Lakers head coach JJ Redick was quite critical of Deandre Ayton, Rui Hachimura, and Jarred Vanderbilt, whom he called out postgame. Hopefully, this one is a more pleasing watch no matter the result.
Let’s see if the Lakers can find a way to win their final matchup against the Warriors on Thursday.
Notes and Updates
For the Lakers’ injury report, Luka Dončić (left hamstring strain), Austin Reaves (left oblique muscle strain) and Jaxson Hayes (left foot soreness) are out. Marcus Smart (right ankle contusion) is questionable.
As for the Warriors, Jimmy Butler III (right ACL surgery) is out. Steph Curry (right knee injury management) and Charles Bassey (left ankle sprain) are questionable. LJ Cryer (general illness) is probable.
TORONTO (AP) — Logan Thompson made 21 saves to register his third shutout of the season as the Washington Capitals breathed life into their fading playoff hopes with a 4-0 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night.
Dylan Strome and Martin Fehervary, with a goal and an assist each, Ryan Leonard and Cole Hutson scored for Washington, which sits three points back of the Eastern Conference’s final wild-card spot with three games left on the schedule.
Anthony Stolarz suffered a lower-body injury early in the first period after stopping the second of two shots he faced for Toronto.
Joseph Woll finished with 14 saves in just over 57 minutes of work for the Maple Leafs, who are set to miss the postseason for the first time since 2016.
Alex Ovechkin — Washington’s leader with 31 goals and 61 points — announced Wednesday he won’t make a decision on his playing future until after the season.
Ovechkin has 45 goals and 35 assists for 80 points across 64 regular-season games against Toronto.
Capitals forward Ilya Protas made his NHL debut on a line with older brother Aliaksei Protas and Tom Wilson. The bruising trio — Wilson is the smallest at 6-foot-4, while the siblings each stand 6-foot-6— tips the scales at a combined 700 pounds.
Up next
Capitals: Visit the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.
Maple Leafs: Visit the New York Islanders on Thursday.
Cade Cunningham, after missing 11 games due to a collapsed left lung, returned for the Pistons in their 137-111 win over the Bucks on Wednesday night in Detroit.
He played 26 minutes and finished with 13 points, 10 assists and five rebounds.
Returning star guard Cade Cunningham drives on Milwaukee’s Gary Trent Jr. during the Piston-Bucks game on April 8, 2026 in Detroit. AP
“Everything felt good,” Cunningham told reporters. “I feel like all the training and stuff I’ve been doing had me in a great place where I was comfortable for all of my minutes, so it was good.”
Given the unique nature of the injury, there was a chance it could have had a major impact on the Knicks — both in their chances to catch the Pistons for the No. 1 seed in the East, and if he was out longer, a potentially weakened Pistons team in the postseason.
But Detroit went 8-3 without him, refusing to open the door to the Knicks in the standings and clinching the No. 1 seed in the process. And Cunningham will have three games to get himself back into rhythm ahead of the postseason. If the Knicks finish as the No. 3 seed, he’d have two playoff rounds, too, before the possibility of an Eastern Conference finals showdown between the two teams.
The Pistons bludgeoned the Knicks in all three regular-season matchups this year and Cunningham was in the middle of it. He averaged 29.8 points, 11.0 assists and 5.3 rebounds across the three games on 51.6 percent shooting from the field and 50 percent shooting from 3-point range.
“It was different than any injury I’ve ever had,” Cunningham said. “As far as how it progressed initially from whenever I got hit, to how I felt immediately and then to how I started to feel as time went on.”
The Knicks need just one win across their final three regular-season games to surpass last year’s tally of 51.
“On my grandson, I didn’t know how many wins the Knicks had last year,” Brown said after practice Wednesday. “I might’ve seen it or whatever, I know they finished in second or third last year, one of the two. But I don’t know how many wins they had, so it didn’t matter to me, I just wanted to try to get the best seeding we could going into the playoffs. But even more important than that, I wanted to feel like we’re playing a certain way going into the playoffs and that we had a really good feel and direction while having true belief in what we’re doing.”
Jaylen Brown (left Achilles tendinitis), Derrick White (right knee contusion), Sam Hauser (lower back spasm) and Neemias Queta (right toe sprain) are all questionable for the Celtics.
It is the first leg of a back-to-back for them.
Just Tyler Kolek (right oblique strain) is listed on the Knicks injury report. He is questionable.
Mar 17, 2026; Mesa, Arizona, USA; Chicago Cubs outfielder Dylan Carlson against the Los Angeles Angels during a spring training game at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
It’s Wednesday night here at BCB After Dark: the coolest spot for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Thank you for stopping in tonight. We’ve been waiting for you. There’s no cover charge. We still have a couple of good tables available. Bring your own beverage.
BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.
Last night I asked if you think, in response to the injuries in the Cubs starting rotation, that the Cubs should sign free agent Lucas Giolito. The question is complicated because we don’t know how much money that Giolito wants to sign, But with that in mind, 65 percent of you think it would be a good idea, considering the health issues of the team to start the season.
Here’s the part where we listen to music and talk movies. You’re free to skip ahead if you want.
Tonight we’re featuring Chicago and Rockford’s own Kurt Elling singing the Joe Jackson tune “Steppin’ Out” with the Bundesjazzorchester in 2o12.
I don’t have a movie essay for tonight, I thought I’d throw the floor open to you.
As a way of stimulating the conversation, tell us your favorite actor from the Golden Age of Hollywood. The American Film Institute put out their top 25 actors and actresses as part of an end-of-the-millenium TV special back in 1999. We’ll save the actresses for another day, so let’s concentrate on the actors tonight.
AFI’s cutoff point was that an actor had to have made their screen debut by 1950. That’s a good cutoff point for a “Golden Age” list, although it does exclude Jack Lemmon, who didn’t make his credited movie debut until 1954. (He had some uncredited roles before that.) Rock Hudson only had one bit part before 1950 and they didn’t spell his name right. I’m not sure whether they counted that.
You can see the complete top 25 at the link, but their top ten were:
Humphrey Bogart
Cary Grant
James Stewart
Marlon Brando
Fred Astaire
Henry Fonda
Clark Gable
James Cagney
Spencer Tracy
Charlie Chaplin
That’s a pretty good list to start. So tell us who is your favorite and which movies he did make you love him?
For me, the answer is easy. It’s Grant. There’s no one on this list whom I don’t think is terrific, but Cary Grant stands out to me. I’m not sure any actor of the era was as equally at home in drama and comedy, often in the same film. North by Northwest is a masterpiece. His comedies like The Awful Truth, Bringing Up Baby, The Philadelphia Story, His Girl Friday and Monkey Business are great. But he also made a lot of great dramatic pictures such as Gunga Din, Only Angels Have Wings and Notorious are excellent too. Charade is fantastic spy drama in the same vein as North by Northwest. Yes, Grant appeared in some turkeys, as did every actor in the studio system. But I don’t think he was ever in a bad movie that wasn’t made a little better because he was in it.
Welcome back to everyone who skipped ahead.
The Cubs have made it clear that they expect that Seiya Suzuki will be activated for Friday’s game against the Pirates. Suzuki has been playing in Knoxville all week and every indication is that he’s ready to return to the majors.
That means someone has to go, assuming no one gets hurt between now and Friday. (The Cubs don’t think that Ian Happ will need a trip to the injured list.) Since teams must have 13 position players these days, the Cubs will have to remove one to activate Suzuki.
There are basically three choices of players who can be removed. I think at the beginning of the season there was a possibility that Matt Shaw, who has options, could go down to Iowa to make room for Suzuki, but I think Shaw is proving himself too valuable so far to go down. If you disagree (or you have some other candidate), you can vote other.
The three players, in reverse order of how likely I think they are to get removed, are:
Michael Conforto: Manager Craig Counsell certainly seems to like Conforto and he’s certainly had the most opportunity to play of the three choices. Conforto has played in seven games (and is in the starting lineup tonight as I write this) and is hitting .250 with a .438 on-base percentage. Sure, he’s yet to have an extra base hit yet and he was pretty awful for the Dodgers last year, but he’s definitely had the best career of our three choices. He was a pretty good outfielder for the Mets from 2o15 to 2021. He wasn’t terrible for the Giants for two years after that. But maybe you think that he’s about to turn back into what he was with the Dodgers last year.
Scott Kingery: You’d be forgiven if you forgot that Kingery was even on the Cubs. So far, all he’s done is pinch-run twice. His only stat is one stolen base. I don’t know the particulars of the minor league deal that Kingery signed with the Cubs over the winter, but he still has minor league options according to Fangraphs. Assuming that’s correct, the Cubs could send him down to Iowa and still have him in reserve
The only issue is that removing Kingery leaves the Cubs with five outfielders plus Matt Shaw, who has been playing outfield most of the year, and five infielders, with Shaw as the only backup. I suppose that Ian Happ could fill in at second or first in an emergency, but that’s not something the Cubs want to rely on. Sending down Kingery leaves the Cubs thin in the infield. On the other hand, it’s not like he’s playing at all right now.
Dylan Carlson: Carlson has barely played more than Kingery, despite Suzuki (and now Happ) being injured. He’s gotten one start and that was in game two of the doubleheader in Cleveland. He went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts in that game. He pinch-ran in game one and scored a run, which was his Cubs debut. He pinch-hit for Conforto in Monday’s game versus the Rays and flew out.
So basically, Counsell has barely used Carlson despite having ample opportunity to do so. Perhaps he would accept an assignment to Iowa, which would make the decision to take him off the roster easy. But he’d probably prefer to go somewhere where he might actually get an opportunity, since it doesn’t look like Counsell wants to give him one on the North Side.
But tonight’s question isn’t who will be removed from the roster, but rather who you would remove if you were in charge. So who’s your choice?
Thanks for stopping by tonight. Thank you to everyone who who has voted and commented over the past week. Or even listened to the music. Please get home safely. Recycle any cans or bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And joiin us again next week for more BCB After Dark.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 08: Evan Mobley #4 of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks for a pass during the third quarter against the Atlanta Hawks at Rocket Arena on April 08, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Hawks 122-116. 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 Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.
Donovan Mitchell
31 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block
This was a team effort, but Mitchell truly stole the show. His isolation scoring is on par with just about anyone in the NBA. I have to imagine it’s a hopeless feeling for the defense whenever Mitchell windmills the ball over their head. He had Corey Kispert begging for mercy — and none of the other Hawks had any better luck.
Grade: A+
James Harden
21 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals
Harden struggled to score early despite generating some clean looks. He also had a grating turnover in closing time, where he handed the ball straight to NAW. Harden finished the game shooting 6-23.
Other than that, Harden provided a huge surge of scoring in the third quarter and was the orchestrator of Cleveland’s late-game offense. He helped them earn multiple trips to the free-throw line, closing the deal with his surgical decision-making.
Grade: B–
Jarrett Allen
16 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals
Allen looks like he’s in pain. That hasn’t stopped him from burrowing into the paint and leaving defenders with no choice other than to bear hug him. The Cavs are showing they can work around Allen’s tendinitis — but I hope that other options emerge as the playoffs approach.
Ideally, we want February Allen back in the building.
Grade: B
Evan Mobley
22 points, 19 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks
Talk about dominant.
Mobley showed fans what they’ve been dreaming about. He eviscerated any defender the Hawks put in front of him. And, made it a non-contest any time the ball was up for grabs. This monster double-double is the type of stuff that will get Mobley, and his team, to the next level.
Grade: A+
Keon Ellis
5 points, 1 assist, 1 rebound, 1 block
I can see Ellis being a great option to slow down players like CJ McCollum, Nickeil Alexandar-Walker, and Gabe Vincent. He has the physical tools to match any of them.
The goal, however, is actually getting him into those matchups. Ellis wasn’t properly utilized in any lineup that featured him alongside Dennis Schroder, Max Strus, and Sam Merrill. The Cavs simply aren’t big enough to get away with stuff like that.
Hopefully, Kenny Atkinson adjusts the rotation and better uses Ellis for his point-of-attack defense.
Grade: C–
Max Strus
8 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists
Strus came off the bench as Cleveland opted for Dean Wade in the starting lineup. That worked great for Wade, and not as well for Strus.
I actually thought Strus played a fine game. But similar to Ellis, I’m not sure if the logjam of backcourt players makes for the most ideal second units. Strus is being stretched thin in some of these lineups.
Grade: C+
Sam Merrill
6 points, 3 assists, 1 steal
You can copy and paste most of what I said for Ellis and Strus here. Merrill isn’t benefiting from being in lineups that only feature one player above 6’5”.
Merrill shot 2-3 from downtown tonight.
Grade: C+
Dean Wade
8 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
Wade returned to the floor and joined the starters tonight. That dynamic worked to perfection. His size and athleticism made him a versatile defensive weapon to pair with the bigs. He also nailed consecutive three-pointers to start the game and spaced the floor well throughout the night.
Grade: A-
Dennis Schroder
5 points, 3 assists, 1 rebound
Not the best. Schroder is most impacted by some of these small-ball lineups. But, he also isn’t a great fit next to either Mitchell or Harden. He was a staggering minus-22 in 15 minutes. As a reminder, the Cavs won this game by six.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 07: Jeff McNeil #22 of the Athletics scores on a double from teammate Nick Kurtz in the third inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on April 07, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The A’s and Yankees had a duel on Wednesday evening in the Bronx. One day after dropping a close game in the late innings, it was the Athletics’ turn as they beat the Yankees thanks to a top of the ninth RBI to win 3-2. Close but we’ll take it.
Right-hander Luis Severino was on the mound for the A’s facing his longtime former team. He entered tonight’s game with two horrible starts against the pinstripes in his career (both last season) so he was looking for a bit of revenge tonight.
Well it looked like early on that things wouldn’t go his way. New York put up two quick runs against the expensive righty, opening up with three straight hits. Sevy buckled down and got two much-needed strikeouts but then a bases-loaded walk brought in New York’s second run. He’d get another punchout to get out of the jam, doing a good job of limiting the damage against him.
The Yankees meanwhile sent fellow righty Will Warren to the bump to take on the A’s lineup. The bats haven’t quite gotten started yet as the A’s currently rank just 22nd in the entire league with a .654 OPS. Not the start A’s fans were hoping for but there’s signs things are heading in the right direction on offense.
The bats were quiet the first time through the order, with only a couple singles and a walk against the New York right-hander. That changed in the fourth though. After the first two batters of the inning went down outfielder Lawrence Butler, manning center tonight, began the rally with a single. Max Muncy followed him with his own hit, followed by the third in a row from Jeff McNeil, this one bringing in the Athletics’ first run of the evening:
He finished the day 2-for-4 with that RBI knock being his second in an Athletics uniform. Would be nice to get him going.
That wasn’t the end of the rally. Carlos Cortes, in the starting lineup in place of Denzel Clarke, worked a two-out walk to load the bases. Then the A’s got a little help from Warren as he uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Muncy to cross home plate and tie this game up at 2 apiece:
Sadly Nick Kurtz struck out to end the rally but at least the A’s had knotted things up.
Back to Severino, after that first inning the righty settled in. Over the next four innings Sevy only allowed one more hit with a couple walks sprinkled in there. He also racked up four more strikeouts as well, getting up to 7 on the evening. He was able to finish the fifth off the hook for a loss, but also without a chance for his first win of the season.
Luis Severino: 5 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 7 K, 100 pitches
Not a bad start from the 32-year-old. Considering his horrible appearances against his former team last year there was some apprehension of him going into New York but he held his own against a tough lineup. Next up for him will likely be the Texas Rangers at home next week.
Warren couldn’t finish the fifth as the A’s chased him with another scoring opportunity, one they wouldn’t be able to cash in on. It was now a bullpen game and whoever blinked first would likely lose.
Neither team bent during the later innings. Scott Barlow, Hogan Harris, and Elvis Alvarado all made appearances after Severino’s departure and did their jobs with scoreless outings, getting us to the ninth inning still tied up at 2.
Not looking to go into extra innings the A’s bats got to work. Going up against New York’s closer in David Bednar, Nick Kurtz started things off with a single, his second hit of the night. Catcher Shea Langeliers followed him up with a double to left field that put two runners in scoring position for the Athletics. After Tyler Soderstrom struck out there was fear that the A’s would waste this golden scoring opportunity but Brent Rooker stepped to the plate and came through with a productive out, a sac fly that brought Kurtz home and gave the A’s the late lead:
Now with a save situation to preserve, manager Mark Kotsay turned to the newest member of his bullpen in Joel Kuhnel. A strong start to his season in Triple-A earned him the first promotion of the year and he was thrown right into the fire tonight. Facing the bottom third of the lineup Kuhnel sat down every Yankee he faced, ending the game by getting Ryan McMahon to strike out swinging for his first save of the year and second of his career.
That was a bit stressful. The A’s turned the tables on the Yankees though and they were the team that had the late-game rally to steal the win. Sevy started a bit shaky but settled in and pitched well for the most part. The bats came through in big spots and the bullpen did it’s job with four scoreless innings of work. A well-rounded win if there ever was one.
The club is now 4-7 with the finale set for tomorrow morning. It’ll be a lefty-on-lefty starting matchup as Jeffrey Springs gets the ball for his third start of the year. He’s been the team’s best starter in this early going so the club will be hoping for that to continue. New York counters Springs with Ryan Weathers, their offseason acquisition who is off to a so-so start to his campaign. Will the A’s win their second series of the year and first on the road? Only one way to find out and that’s to tune in tomorrow bright and early for more A’s baseball!
CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 8: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers shoots a three point basket during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on April 8, 2026 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Donovan Mitchell scored 31 points, Evan Mobley had 22 points and 19 rebounds, and the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Atlanta Hawks 122-116 in a wild contest that saw both teams carry double-digit leads. The Cavs led by as many as 18 points, but nearly collapsed in the fourth quarter before getting some defensive stops in critical moments. If tonight’s game is an indication of how things would look in a playoff series between these two teams, buckle up.
Atlanta has been inarguably the hottest team in the NBA over the last month, and they showed it down the stretch. Their two best players, Jalen Johnson (12 points, 11 rebounds) and Dyson Daniels (12 points, six assists), both fouled out late in the fourth quarter, making things slightly easier for the Cavs. Nickeil Alexander-Walker finished with 25 points, hitting some very tough shots along the way.
It was a back-and-forth affair from Rocket Arena, with both teams exchanging blows throughout. Atlanta outscored Cleveland by 11 in the second quarter, taking a seven-point lead into the half. The Cavs countered with a haymaker, posting 44 points and giving themselves a 17-point lead going into the fourth. Expectedly, the Hawks mounted an extraordinary comeback in the final frame to nearly complete the effort.
Mitchell was excellent all night and started his takeover in the third quarter, scoring 13 of his 31 in that frame. James Harden (21 points, five rebounds) also caught a little fire in that period, drilling back-to-back threes midway through the quarter to force an Atlanta timeout. The backcourt led the way in the third and propelled the Cavs to perhaps their best quarter of the season.
While he has been the recipient of fan ire all season, Mobley played exceptionally tonight. The defending Defensive Player of the Year finished with 22 points, 19 rebounds (tied for a career-high), and three blocks on 8-15 shooting. Cleveland was a +20 in Mobley’s minutes, and that certainly passes the eye test. He had a game-changing effort that the Cavs will need in the postseason if they hope to make some noise.
It was a trying night for Jarrett Allen, even if his stat line looks respectable. Half of his points came from the free-throw line, and he finished with three turnovers — and it could have been more. He lost several entry passes that simply bounced off his hands, or he allowed defenders to dislodge him too easily. It seems Allen isn’t going to be 100% for the playoffs, but they will need a better effort from him than what we saw tonight.
Speaking of poor performances, Dennis Schroder continues to be a very uneven player. The Cavs were a -22 in his 15 minutes, and that also passes the eye test. Craig Porter Jr. was not utilized in this game, perhaps an indication of how things would look in a playoff setting. This game certainly had a postseason vibe to it, and the rotations reflected that. The Cavs rolled out their usual starters and Dean Wade, and that generally worked out. But the bench was exceptionally poor aside from Sam Merrill. Keon Ellis, Max Strus, and Schroder were all negatives in plus/minus.
This was a roller coaster of a game from tip-off to final buzzer. The Cavs looked alright in the first quarter, terrible in the second, tremendous in the third, and then nearly lost it in the fourth. In fact, they only scored 18 points in the final quarter, most of which came off free throws. The last field goal they made, an Allen dunk, came at the 7:05 mark. It is a borderline miracle that they won this game, especially given the team’s history of falling apart at the seams when things start to go wrong.
Tonight, they looked like a team that was able to withstand a little adversity. Now, if only they didn’t put themselves in that position in the first place.
The Rangers successfully limited their opponent’s offense, fostered chemistry and closed out games during this lengthy homestand that concluded Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.
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When push came to shove against a hungry Buffalo team, however, the Blueshirts reverted to their old ways on home ice.
They didn’t just allow three unanswered goals — including an empty-netter — in the third period to fall 5-3 to the playoff-bound Sabres.
The Rangers were held without a single shot on goal for over 18 of the final 20 minutes.
“I don’t know if we sat back a little too much with the lead, but we had a couple good shifts to start the period, didn’t get anything on net, and they kind of controlled the play there through the middle part,” captain J.T. Miller said. “And then we pushed again at the end. That’s obviously not good enough. I look at it as a bigger sample size over the last little while. We’ve played a lot of good hockey and we know we want to end the season strong. So we’re excited to get back on the road, spent a lot of time at home. I have a lot of faith we’re going to end the season in a good way and feel good.”
Finishing their season at the Garden with a 14-20-7 record, the Rangers capped an otherwise tumultuous campaign on home ice with an encouraging 5-2 stretch.
Scoring goals was no longer the bane of their existence. Stacking wins lightened a beat-up locker room.
It’s breathed a competitive life back into the Rangers that hasn’t been there since the 2024 playoffs.
Alexis Lafrenière scored his first of two goals by redirecting an Adam Fox shot from the point, notching his 23rd goal of the season and his career-high 13th point on the power play.
Jason Zucker (center) celebrates his third-period goal with Ryan McLeod as a dejected Will Borgen looks on during the Rangers’ 5-3 loss to the Sabres on April 8, 2026 at the Garden. NHLI via Getty Images
With 39 seconds left in the first period, the goal cut the Sabres’ lead in half, 2-1, going into the first intermission.
Sniping one past Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen early in the second period, Lafrenière tied the game 2-2 for the Rangers as part of his third multi-goal game of the 2025-26 season.
The home team then earned its first lead of the night off its second power-play goal.
Igor Shesterkin makes a save on Jason Zucker during the second period of the Rangers’ loss to the Sabres. Bill Kostroun for New York Post
Fox cashed in from the slot and pulled within one of his career-high six power-play goals, which begs the question of what the 28-year-old could have accomplished if he hadn’t missed 27 total games due to injuries.
The goal extended Fox’s point streak to eight games, over which he has collected four goals and 11 assists.
“Obviously it was a struggle for us to win games early on,” head coach Mike Sullivan said. “You look at the first 20 games of the season, there were a lot of games that we felt pretty good about our overall game from a process standpoint, and we struggled to score goals for whatever reason, in particular at home. … Our guys care deeply about playing in front of the home crowd and the people that support us. We have a sincere appreciation for that. And so sometimes that becomes a challenge in and of itself, because you’re trying so hard to try to win at home, sometimes it gets in the way of your instincts …
Alexis Lafrenière (13) celebrates with Adam Folx after scoring a power player goal in the first period of the Rangers’ loss to the Sabres. Bill Kostroun for New York Post
“I feel this second half, it started to go in the net for us. Most recently, we’re scoring a fair amount of goals. It’s not like we changed our game plan. We’ve got back to a pretty consistent team game.”
Matthew Robertson was named as the Rangers nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which is given to the player who “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey.”
The nomination is decided by members of the Rangers chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. The winner is selected by a poll of the PHWA as a whole.
BOSTON, MA - FEBRUARY 8: Mikal Bridges #25 of the New York Knicks is introduced before the game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on February 8, 2026 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. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Tomorrow night, the Knicks (51*-28) host the Celtics (54-25) at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks sit third in the Eastern Conference, riding a three-game win streak and going 7-3 in their last 10. New York has been solid on their home court (28-9) and will look to leverage that MSG advantage against a Celtics team that has also been playing well, winning four straight and eight of their last 10. While it’s not impossible for the Knicks to steal the second seed from the Celts, they’d have to win out their final three games (starting tonight), while the Beantown Bums would have to lose to the Knicks, Pelicans, and Magic.
The Knicks lead the season series 2-1. The teams last met on February 8 in Boston, where New York pulled out a 111-89 victory. The Knicks led for most of the game, Jalen Brunson topped the scoresheet with 31 points, and Boston shot an awful 7-of-41 (17%) from the perimeter. Oh, what a glorious day that was.
Beyond shots, what else was Boston missing in that February 8 game? Jayson Tatum. In fact, their star power forward has missed all three games against the Knicks this season, having ruptured his achilles in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Semis against New York and only returning to action on March 6, 2026. Tatum’s shooting (a career-low 50% eFG) and scoring (21 PPG) have yet to return to pre-injury form, but he’s still a force to be reckoned with.
The Celtics have been one of the more consistent teams, with elite offensive (2nd of 30) and defensive (4th of 30) metrics. They score around 114.6 points per game (21st in the NBA) while allowing just 106.9, which is best in the league.
Tatum and Jaylen Brown (28.8 PPG, 7 RPG, 5.2 APG) will lead their starters, with Derrick White (16.7 PPG, 5.4 APG), Sam Hauser (9.1 PPG, 39% 3P%), and Neemias Queta (10.3 PPG, 8.3 RPG) rounding out the first five. We’ll see who actually plays. Their injury report lists four players—Queta (toe), Hauser (back), White (knee), and Brown (Achilles)—all as game-time decisions. For the Knicks, Tyler Kolek is a GTD with an oblique issue.
Prediction
ESPN.com gives the home team a 56% chance tomorrow. That makes sense. Coach Joe Mazzulla, coach-of-the-year candidate and general weirdo, could rest his ailing Celtics, since they can wrap up the second-seed in one of the next two outings. But who knows what Joe will hear when he stares into the abyss over his morning cornflakes? The Knicks will be ready for whatever, however. In their last game, they rocked Atlanta, taking everything the red hot team threw at them and giving it straight back. Just in time, the Knickerbockers look ready for the playoffs. More of the same tomorrow, we bet. Knicks by 4.
Game Details
Who: New York Knicks (51*-28) vs Boston Celtics (54-25) Date: Thursday, April 9, 2026 Time: 7:30 PM ET Place: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY TV: Prime Video / MSG Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky
* Should be one more, but the NBA Cup wins live in a Fortress of Solitude.
Apr 8, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; Athletics starting pitcher Luis Severino (40) reacts after almost getting hit by the ball in the third inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Enough of the new season smell has worn off that we can all say this game was a bit miserable. The Yankees had a golden opportunity to blow the contest open in the first inning, and after the first three Yanks all reached base, barely a soul managed to do so for the rest of the game. David Bednar couldn’t hold serve in the ninth inning, getting himself into an immediate jam, and a solid Athletics lineup made him pay. New York dropped the second game of this three-game set, 3-2 your final.
The Yankees jumped on Luis Severino early, with both Trent Grisham and Aaron Judge starting the first inning with sharp singles. Cody Bellinger was up next and put his club ahead before an out had been recorded:
Sevy then had a hell of a back and forth with the strike zone, getting whiffs of Ben Rice and Giancarlo Stanton, before back-to-back four-pitch walks to Jazz Chisholm Jr. and J.C. Escarra, the second of those bringing in Judge from third base. Amed Rosario was also set down swinging to end the threat, and while the Yankees were up 2-0 by the end of the first, it felt like they could have gotten more out of it.
That somewhat-missed opportunity loomed large in the fourth, after Will Warren cruised through the first three innings. The Yankee right-hander began to bleed baserunners, with three-straight singles—all with two outs—bringing in the first run of the game forth the A’s. Warren would walk the bases loaded and then spike a ball that Escarra couldn’t corral, The Other Max Muncy broke for the plate, and the game was tied.
Warren doesn’t have the natural stuff that Cam Schlittler has, and he’s always going to be a little more of a project pitcher. He might even be pretty good — although he didn’t end up getting out of the fifth today. The problem is for me, he’s kinda good and an absolute slog to watch pitch:
When you don’t sit 98, you have to find strikes around the edges of the strike zone, and Warren just doesn’t have the command for that. Instead you get a lot of easy takes and it feels like he ends up spotting every single hitter one more pitch than he needs to. So he throws more pitches, they’re not very good pitches, and he forces us to watch while he does it.
Thankfully Tim Hill was somewhat more expeditious, needing just one pitch to finish the fifth, and working a sixth inning that saw an Athletics’ single and a real nice grab from Jazz:
Still, that first inning continued to cast a shadow, since after Severino threw 32 pitches in the frame, he actually settled down well to complete five innings on exactly 100 pitches. Luis Severino’s 2017 Cy Young finalist year is one of the single player campaigns I’ve most enjoyed covering while at PSA, and while he never was that good again I also couldn’t help but enjoy seeing him continue to pitch well enough — even if he could have left a cement mixer or two out.
The team continued to be flummoxed by a pretty paltry As pitching staff, especially when Mark Leiter Jr. wasn’t brought out. Trent Grisham did manage a two-out walk in the seventh inning against the lefty Hogan Harris, setting up a platoon-advantaged matchup against Judge, but he was swiftly walked. Cody Bellinger went down on strikes to continue the offensive futility.
Bednar was tasked with keeping the game tied in the ninth, and immediately allowed a single and double to the top of the Athletics order. The Yankee closer was able to get Tyler Soderstrom swinging for one out, but Brent Rooker’s sac fly brought in Nick Kurtz, and that would be all the A’s needed. The bottom of the Yankee order went down quietly in the ninth.
This has been a pretty blergh series, where outside of Amed Rosario’s heroics on Tuesday the Yankee offense has been awful quiet against a team not known for its pitching prowess. I think the hitters are largely too passive at the plate right now, taking a lot of strikes in hitters’ counts for no reason that I can see. A little more controlled aggression from the lineup would help them win this series tomorrow, where Ryan Weathers will start the finale against fellow southpaw Jeffrey Springs. First pitch will be at 1:35pm Eastern.
The Yankees' bats went quiet after a strong first inning as they fell to the Athletics, 3-2.
Here are the takeaways....
-- The Yanks got on the board quickly with three straight singles in the bottom of the first inning as Cody Bellinger's bloop to right field scored Trent Grisham from second base. After former Yankee Luis Severino struck out two straight, New York found a way to tack on another run. Jazz ChisholmJr. walked to load the bases and J.C. Escarra followed with another walk to pickup the RBI, pushing the lead to 2-0.
-- Will Warren cruised through the first three innings before running into some trouble in the fourth. The right-hander let up three consecutive singles as Jeff McNeil singled to left field and Lawrence Butler beat Bellinger's throw home, making it a 2-1 game. Warren then issued a walk to load the bases and threw a wild pitch, scoring Max Muncy as the Athletics tied it up at 2-2.
Warren recorded two outs in the fifth inning, but with two runners on base and the lefty Butler coming up to bat, Tim Hill entered for the lefty vs. lefty matchup. His day ended after 4.2 IP and 85 pitches (48 strikes), allowing two runs on five hits with five strikeouts and three walks. Luckily, Hill needed just one pitch to get out of the jam and avoided adding on to Warren's line.
-- Starting at shortstop for the first time in the majors, Ryan McMahon got tested at the end of the first inning. He made a nice back-hand stop and got a little help from Ben Rice on the scoop at first base for the third out. McMahon looked more comfortable on his next three plays in the second and third innings, getting the runner at first each time.
While McMahon was solid at short, Rice had some troubles at first base throughout the game, including a fielding error on a ball that bounced off his glove into foul territory. Rice also struggled at the plate, going 0-for-4 with four strikeouts.
-- Pitching coach Matt Blake was ejected by home plate umpire Carlos Torres for arguing balls and strikes in the top of the third inning. Nick Kurtz ended up singling later in the at-bat.
-- Hill, Camilo Doval, and Brent Headrick tossed 3.1 combined scoreless innings of relief to keep the score knotted at 2-2 through the eighth. However, David Bednar got into trouble in the ninth inning, allowing a single to Kurtz and a double to Shea Langeliers. Bednar struck out Tyler Soderstrom, but then gave up a sac fly to Brent Rooker as the Athletics took a 3-2 lead. The veteran managed to strike out Jacob Wilson to avoid further damage.
The Yanks went down in order in the bottom of the ninth, finishing with just four hits after having three in the first inning. Their last hit came in the fourth inning.
Game MVP: Luis Severino
Severino reminded Yankees fans that he's still got it, striking out seven over 5.0 IP. The right-hander allowed two runs on four hits and five walks, with both runs and three of the hits coming in the first inning.
Barring an injury to a starting pitcher, it doesn’t appear as if Sean Manaea will be joining the Mets rotation anytime soon.
Despite this stretch of nine straight days with a scheduled game for his team, manager Carlos Mendoza said Wednesday that he’s sticking with a five-man rotation. In spring training, Mendoza had indicated a six-man rotation was a possibility once the Mets got beyond their early off days in the schedule.
“We’re just going to keep guys with their routines,” Mendoza said before the Mets lost 7-2 to the Diamondbacks at Citi Field. “If we need to go that route, we will. But as I am sitting here, we are not planning on going to a six-man.”
Sean Manaea heads back to the dugout after getting out of the seventh inning during Mets’ 7-2 loss to the Diamondbacks on April 8, 2026 at Citi Field. Corey Sipkin for New York Post
With David Peterson removed after the fifth inning, Manaea was utilized in a second straight extended relief appearance.
He allowed two earned runs on five hits and two walks over four innings (70 pitches).
“Each day we’re turning in the right direction,” said Manaea, who was squeezed from the rotation at the end of spring training.
Manaea’s lagging velocity has been part of the issue.
On this day he averaged 88.4 mph on his four-seam fastball. It was a dip from his previous appearance — he averaged 89.9 mph with that pitch last Thursday.
Manaea was asked for his reaction to hearing he won’t be joining the rotation as a sixth starter.
“No disappointment,” Manaea said. “I am here to help this team win in any way that I can. And right now this is my job to do what I have been doing and I’m very happy doing that.”
Mendoza said the manner in which his starting pitchers have recovered between starts is the biggest factor in wanting to stick with the five-man set.
“We wanted to be flexible and leave it open just in case somebody comes in and says maybe they can use an extra day, then you can always make that adjustment,” Mendoza said. “That was the idea coming out of camp, but here we are now.”
Carson Benge snapped an 0-for-24 with a ninth-inning single.
NEW YORK (AP) — Jason Zucker scored the tiebreaking goal early in the third period, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 17 saves, and the Buffalo Sabres rallied to beat the New York Rangers 5-3 on Wednesday night.
Zucker slid his 24th goal past Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin at 7:14 after teammate Alex Tuch had tied the contest with his 31st at 5:50 of the third.
Zach Benson scored twice and Ryan McLeod added a goal for the Sabres, who will participate in the postseason for the first time since 2010-11.
The Sabres won their 48th game in a dramatic turnaround from last year, when they had 79 points and missed the playoffs for a 14th straight season. Buffalo is 22-6-3 in its last 31 games, including a league-best 16 wins and 34 points since the Olympic break.
Alexis Lafreniere scored twice and Adam Fox also scored for the Rangers in their home finale. Shesterkin had 22 saves.
New York finished with five wins in a seven-game homestand but just 14 wins in 41 home games overall.
McLeod opened the scoring at 4:40 of the first. Benson then beat Shesterkin at 8:58.
Lafreniere answered on the power play at 19:21, then scored his second of the night and 24th this season at 2:57 of the middle period.
Fox put the Rangers ahead at 14:44 of the second before the Sabres rallied.
Benson completed the scoring with his 12th goal into an empty net at 18:44.
The Rangers will miss the playoffs for a second straight season after winning the Presidents’ Trophy in 2023-24 when they had 114 points and 55 wins, including 30 at home.
Buffalo, under Lindy Ruff who also coached the team when they reached the Stanley Cup Final in 1999, has 104 points — two more than Tampa Bay and Montreal in the Atlantic Division.
Up Next
Rangers: Visiting Dallas Stars on Saturday to start season-ending three-game trip.
Sabres: Hosting Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night.
During this past off-season, the Pittsburgh Penguins signed defenseman Parker Wotherspoon to a two-year, $2 million contract. This was after the left-shot defenseman had one goal, seven points, and a minus-10 rating in 55 games with the Boston Bruins during the 2024-25 season.
When the Penguins signed Wotherspoon, the expectation was that he would be a depth defenseman for them. Instead, the 6-foot-1 blueliner has been having a breakout year with the Penguins and has emerged as one of their most important defenseman in the process.
Wotherspoon has been excellent for the Penguins this season, and the truth is in his stats. In 78 games this season with Pittsburgh, he has set new career highs with three goals, 26 assists, 29 points, and 160 blocks. With numbers like these, he has been a major pickup for the Penguins.
Due to how well he has played, Wotherspoon has found a home on the Penguins' top pairing with Erik Karlsson this season. He has also become a key part of their penalty kill.
With all of this, there is no question that Wotherspoon has turned out to be quite the gem for the Penguins and has been a notable reason for their major turnaround this season.
