With the regular season at its end come April 16, some teams on the outskirts of the playoffs are already prepping for their offseason while others are still fighting for their Stanley Cup hopes.
In the Western Conference, the San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings are chasing a wild card spot, hoping to overtake the Nashville Predators, who sit in the second and final wild card spot.
It will come down to the final regular-season games.
Through 77 games, the Kings are 32-26-19 (83 points). The Sharks are right under them; through 76 games, they have a 37-32-7 record (81 points).
San Jose has a Wednesday night game against the Edmonton Oilers. That's important for many reasons.
If Edmonton loses in regulation, it will fall to second in the division, getting leaped by the Golden Knights. As for San Jose, its wild card hopes will still be alive and well.
The Sharks have won five of their previous six games, including a 3-2 victory against the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday, April 6. Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith have contributed to the team's success in major ways.
They are the key components to a productive young core that needs to keep it up in their remaining six games, which includes meetings with the Anaheim Ducks and a last-place Vancouver Canucks team. To conclude the season, the Sharks face the Predators in a huge matchup and the Blackhawks again, then the Winnipeg Jets.
But with the Kings still narrowly ahead, it'll be a tough task for San Jose, a team that hasn't had a postseason appearance since 2019.
Almost time for a final answer on where the Sixers will wind up at the end of this regular season.
With three games left, below are the Eastern Conference standings from fifth through 10th. The top six avoid the play-in tournament.
5. Hawks 45-35
6. Raptors 44-35
7. Magic 44-36
8. Sixers 43-36
9. Hornets 43-37
10. Heat 41-38
And here’s a rundown of the Sixers’ potential seeding scenarios:
If Sixers go 3-0
To finish at 46-36, the Sixers first need to beat the 50-win Rockets on Thursday night in Houston. Then they must handle business against the Pacers and Bucks, two teams out of the East playoff picture.
To come out ahead of the Raptors in a two-way tie situation, the Sixers would only need Toronto to lose at least one of its last three games. The Sixers would win a two-way tiebreaker over the Raptors because they have the superior record vs. opponents in the Atlantic division.
In order to rise to fifth in the East, the Sixers would require the following results:
Hawks go 0-2, losing to the Cavs and Heat
Raptors go 2-1 or worse against the Heat, Knicks and Nets
No other team around the Sixers’ region of the standings could catch them. The Magic could reach 46 wins by ending 2-0 against the Bulls and Celtics, but the Sixers won the regular-season series over Orlando.
If Sixers go 2-1
If they lose in Houston and/or trip up against the Pacers and Bucks, the Sixers would need more factors to break their way to avoid the play-in.
At 45-37, the Sixers would be guaranteed to finish below Atlanta. Even if the Hawks ended 0-2, they’d be above the Sixers because they swept the regular-season series.
So, to be sixth at the end of the season, the 45-37 Sixers would at a minimum need:
Raptors go 1-2 or 0-3
Magic go 1-1 or 0-2
The potential tiebreakers with three or four teams at 45-37 get convoluted, to the point that it seemingly might matter which of their three games the Sixers lost (to the Western Conference’s Rockets or East’s Pacers or Bucks). For now, suffice it to say that they’d be scoreboard watching and hoping several dominoes fell in their favor.
The Hornets could throw themselves into the 45-37 mix by beating the Pistons and Knicks. If only the Sixers and Charlotte are 45-37, the Sixers would have the edge. They earned a comeback win over the Hornets on March 28 to take that season series.
If Sixers go 1-2
Two losses in their last three games would obviously leave the Sixers with poor odds of a top-six finish.
At 44-38, here’s the only way that could happen:
Raptors go 0-3
Magic go 0-2
Hornets go 1-1 or 0-2
In that world, the Sixers, Raptors, Magic and Hornets would all be 44-38 (with Charlotte going 1-1).
To illustrate the tiebreaker complexities that could ensue: The first tiebreaker in these scenarios is an automatic win for a division leader, but none of the teams would meet that criteria. Next up is the best winning percentage in all games among the tied teams. By our count, the Sixers went 6-4 overall against Toronto, Orlando and Charlotte. Both the Raptors and Hornets would be just behind them with a 6-5 record in their games against the other teams.
Again, this is a very improbable hypothetical on many fronts. The Sixers being a play-in team is by far the most likely outcome with a 1-2 finish. As laid out above, the odds of that also appear quite high with a 2-1 finish.
If Sixers go 0-3
Should the Sixers essentially collapse down the stretch and end at 43-39, they’ll be between eighth and 10th.
Even after David Peterson allowed five runs in the first two innings of Wednesday afternoon’s 7-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks, it would be fair to say the New York Mets starting rotation has largely inspired confidence this season.
Only five teams’ rotations have struck out more batters, and two of them have played a full game more than the Mets had as of late Wednesday evening. Nolan McLean has looked ace-ready. Kodai Senga has pitched with more power than he did in 2025. Freddy Peralta has yet to be at his best, and he has still been very good.
But if cracks are going to spread – and when it comes to major league starting pitching, they almost always do – Wednesday offered a glimpse into where they might find room.
After allowing a run on two hits in the first, Peterson was vexed with small ball and pummeled with hits in a four-run second inning before retiring 11 of the last 12 batters he faced. Inconsistency, not total ineffectiveness, has been his undoing: Since he worked in and out of traffic through 5.1 scoreless innings in his first start of the year, Peterson has allowed 10 runs over 9.1 innings in his last two, scattering 15 hits and four walks. His ERA is 6.14.
Two mediocre starts seem like far too small a sample to dislodge a pitcher who was an All-Star in the first half of last season, though Peterson did struggle in the second half. His manager confirmed as much after the game, when asked if he was considering making a change in the rotation.
“As I’m sitting here right now, no,” Mendoza said.
Exactly why Peterson is pitching less effectively seems to be a subject of debate. Mendoza suggested that Peterson was struggling to execute his pitches inside to right-handed hitters, leaving pitches meant to land on his glove side out over the plate.
“When he’s going well,” Mendoza said. “The two-seam comes in, the slider down and in to righties. And like I said, right now, he’s having a hard time.”
Peterson, meanwhile, admitted that while he did require mechanical adjustments after that troublesome second inning, he thought pitch selection, rather than execution, was his problem.
“I don’t think I’ve had a problem executing the pitch,” Peterson said. “I don’t think we’ve gone there enough. I think we’ve relied on the sinker and change-up too much and allowed hitters to sit over the plate. In my eyes, it’s more about usage than it is execution.”
Apr 2, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher David Peterson (23) throws a pitch against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at Oracle Park. / Robert Edwards-Imagn Images
Whatever the issue, Peterson seems likely to get plenty of time to address it. For one thing, none of his potential rotation replacements are currently applying pressure. As recently as spring training, the Mets rotation looked sturdy – maybe even deep. But in the weeks since, a series of worrying developments – none of them remotely catastrophic – have nonetheless whittled at its edges.
Sean Manaea’s velocity still hasn’t come back, and he is trying to rediscover his best stuff in the bullpen while also keeping his pitch counts high enough to start. He allowed two runs on five hits (unaided by a few defensive miscues) in four innings following Peterson on Wednesday, the second straight time he has followed his fellow lefty into a game.
He said he felt better, that his secondary stuff felt sharper than it had in his last outing – the product, in part, of working on leaning over less so he can rotate through his delivery more easily.
“I thought he was aggressive. The way he was moving on the mound, threw with his delivery,” Mendoza said. “I thought he was good.”
Mendoza initially suggested they would consider reincorporating Manaea into the rotation after a few turns through the rotation. But Wednesday, Mendoza said they will stick with the five starters they have used so far instead.
“It’s just where we’re at right now with this turn, where everyone is at and how they’re bouncing back,” Mendoza said. “I think that’s the bottom line. We wanted to be flexible. We wanted to leave it open just to make sure that [if] somebody comes in and says, ‘Hey man, I might need an extra day,’ then you can always make an adjustment. That was the whole idea coming out of camp.”
Some of the Mets' less convenient would-be rotation options are not knocking forcefully at this exact moment, either. Christian Scott, who looked like an obvious first call-up after a strong spring training, allowed six earned runs in 3.1 innings in his first outing for Triple-A Syracuse. Jonah Tong walked three and allowed four runs in 1.2 innings in his second Syracuse outing, though of course, their samples are minuscule, too.
Two or three starts do not make a season. The question Peterson will now answer is whether they will become a problem.
Zach Eflin #24 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches in the third inning against the Texas Rangers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on March 31, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland.
Zach Eflin’s season is over before it ever really got going.
Eflin, 32, underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery, the Orioles announced Wednesday, after he made just one start for the ballclub this season.
The right-hander threw just 3 ⅔ innings when he took the mound on March 31 against the Rangers before exiting the game with right elbow discomfort.
He was placed on the 15-day injured list shortly after and underwent an MRI. He then flew to Texas to get a second opinion on imaging from Dr. Keith Meister, who ultimately ended up performing the procedure.
Zach Eflin of the Baltimore Orioles pitches in the third inning against the Texas Rangers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on March 31, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. Getty Images
“I feel for Zach,” manager Craig Albernaz told reporters last week, according to the Baltimore Banner. “The whole coaching staff, the whole team, you just feel for him. Heart hurts for him. You never want to see anything happen to any player, especially someone like Zach.”
It’s a tough break for Eflin, who saw his 2025 season hindered by three separate stints on the IL and didn’t pitch again after July 28.
He underwent back surgery in August.
Eflin has spent parts of three seasons with the Orioles after arriving in Baltimore in 2024 via a trade with the Rays.
This offseason, the Orioles re-signed Eflin to a one-year contract worth a guaranteed $10 million, which also included a mutual option for 2027.
Eflin has spent 11 years in the major leagues, spending the first seven in MLB with the Phillies.
He spent part of two seasons in Tampa.
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Zach Eflin delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Tuesday, March 31, 2026, in Baltimore. AP
During his time with the Orioles, Eflin has posted an 11-7 record with a 4.42 ERA and 104 strikeouts.
He had a 5.93 ERA in 14 starts during the 2025 season.
The Orioles are 6-6 and second in the American League East after winning three straight games against the White Sox.
After an unexpected coaching change, a week of high-intensity practices and an unwelcome result elsewhere in the Eastern Conference on Tuesday night, the Islanders are ready to return to the ice — and fight for their postseason lives.
The Isles — following a 6-2 Senators thrashing over the Lightning — are three points off the second and final wild-card spot entering Thursday’s pivotal clash against the Maple Leafs.
And one of the team’s longest-tenured players knows exactly what’s required in that matchup against Toronto — the Isles’ first game since they lost to the Hurricanes on Saturday.
“It’s got to be all energy ahead,” defenseman Ryan Pulock told The Post. “I think as much as you make changes, it’s still just a game. And we need to bring that energy. We’re at home, there’s no excuses there. You need every guy on board, finding a little extra.”
On the third day of what new head coach Pete DeBoer has dubbed his “late-season training camp” — following his hiring over the weekend with just four regular-season games remaining — there was an urgency during the session at Northwell Health Ice Center.
Ilya Sorokin shone with some impressive glove work in net, DeBoer continued to feed his players instructions from a whiteboard and the coach was once again pleased with the buy-in from his new group.
“I feel like they’re optimistic,” DeBoer said of his players. “I feel a real good energy out there. The feedback’s been good, the conversations have been good. I think we all know the situation we’re in, but the mindset of the group is really good.
Veteran defenseman Ryan Pulock said the Islanders have to play with full energy down the stretch to make the playoffs. NHLI via Getty Images
“I think they’re sick of my late-season training camp. I think they’re done with it. And I’ll be honest, I’ve never run a training camp in April. So I think we’re all ready to play some games.”
But with their playoff predicament — Hockey Reference gives the Isles just a 22.1 percent chance of making the postseason after a poor 3-7 stretch — there was little time for them to brood.
“When you first find out, there is some sadness,” Pulock said. “I think you build relationships with people, and you work together for a while, and when you hear that, it sucks for a minute.
New Islanders head coach Pete DeBoer talks with the media on April 6, 2026. Howie Kussoy / NY Post
“And then you can sit on it for a minute, and you get ready, you look forward, and you get excited about what’s ahead.”
Roy’s successor has also been heartened by the response he’s seen from his new players.
“I think anytime a coach loses his job, if you’ve got good character like we have in that room, they feel bad about it,” DeBoer said. “And I think they’re looking to respond in the right way and handle this the right way.”
The Islanders may have to sweep their upcoming slate against the Leafs, Senators, Canadiens and Hurricanes — and get help elsewhere, too — to sneak into the postseason.
But following a late-season slump and this week’s rare mini-break, the first order of business is clear: Beat Toronto.
“It’s a little sprint here, where we know our backs [are] against the wall,” Pulock said, “and it’s [an] exciting time to just try to win one hockey game.”
Chris Drury made sweeping changes to the player personnel and scouting departments when he was named president and general manager of the Rangers just under five years ago.
Since then, there haven’t been many significant adjustments.
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The Rangers brought back Kevin Maxwell in the same director of pro scouting role he held for 11 seasons in New York, adding director of player personnel to his title, the team announced Wednesday before their final home game of the 2025-26 season.
It’s not exactly a brand-new voice, considering Maxwell worked for the Rangers for 14 seasons from 2008-09 to 2021-22. But Maxwell is an experienced (re)addition to a Blueshirts front office that can use an alternative perspective as they head into a pivotal offseason.
With over 30 years in an NHL front office/scouting department, Maxwell is tasked with helping guide this Rangers retool in the right direction. The Rangers need to get more out of their organizationally grown prospects, but also must improve on their free agent/trade/waiver targets.
That’s not to say there hasn’t been any success on that front. Vladislav Gavrikov has been a home run free-agent signing so far. Deadline acquisitions Andrew Copp, Frank Vatrano and Niko Mikkola have all gone on to establish themselves with their respective teams.
There have also been some colossal swings and misses. Signing Patrick Nemeth to a three-year deal was questionable in July 2021 and just plain awful now upon reflection. So were the one-year deals for Ryan Carpenter (2022), Nick Bonino (2023) and Tyler Pitlick (2023).
When Drury first joined the Rangers front office as director of player development in 2015, Maxwell had already been with the organization for seven seasons. He began as a pro scout in 2008-09 before working his way up to director of professional scouting in 2011-12.
Kevin Maxwell of the St. Louis Blues arrives for the game against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena on November 23, 2024. Getty Images
Maxwell most recently worked for the Blues, serving as a pro scout and general manager of the team’s AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds, for the past four seasons.
Working alongside John Lilley — the Rangers director of amateur scouting and player personnel since Drury came in — once again, Maxwell will return to overseeing the pro side of player personnel, just like he did when Lilley was first hired in 2021.
Lilley will continue to be in charge of the amateur side.
Rangers held their rookie training camp Thursday, September 12, 2024 at Madison Square Garden Training Center. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Since Lilley’s first draft in 2021, the Rangers have had seven picks make their NHL debut with the team. Five players came up this season alone, a majority of whom only got looks amid the organization’s struggles and retooling announcement.
Two — Brennan Othmann (No. 16 overall in 2021) and Victor Mancini (No. 159 overall in 2022) — have been traded away.
The Rangers have 11 picks in this year’s draft, which is the most they’ve had since they made 13 selections in 2004.
Jed Ortmeyer has served as the organization’s director of player development since 2017-18. Jamie Herrington started with the club as an amateur scout in 2016-17 before becoming director of NCAA scouting in 2021-22.
The trio of Garth Joy (director of player personnel and director of pro scouting), Andrew Schneider (director of North American amateur scouting) and Ari Vuori (director of European scouting) all started during the 2022-23 season.
While Tanner Glass began his post-playing career as a development coach for the Rangers in 2019-20, the 42-year-old became an assistant director of player development in 2020-21.
The Rangers then added Marc Staal as a development assistant last season.
When Drury spoke after trading Artemi Panarin to the Kings before the Olympic break, the 49-year-old fielded questions about the direction of his retool. Asked by The Post if he had plans to make changes to scouting and development, the 49-year-old expressed how important those two departments are.
“The draft and development, organizations need to make good draft picks, obviously, and they need those draft picks to develop and get to the big club and impact the lineup,” Drury said at the time. “Again, those are two important parts of the organization, along with scouting and a number of other departments that we’re always looking at and seeing if we can tweak things, seeing what we can learn from other organizations that have gone through this before, and always looking for ways in both those departments to be better.”
SAN ANTONIO, TX - JANUARY 03: Carter Bryant #11 of the San Antonio Spurs drives on Side Cissoko #91 of the Portland Trailblazers in the first half at Frost Bank Center on January 3, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) | Getty Images
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The Spurs have won 60 games and they could be mathematically locked into second place in the Western Conference by the end of play tonight, with either a loss tonight or a win by the Thunder over the Clippers. OKC beating the LA seems inevitable, but I wouldn’t count the Spurs out just yet. The Spurs will be missing the services of Victor Wembanyama tonight, who has a rib contusion courtesy of a collision with Paul George in the Sixers game. He looks good to play at least one of the two remaining games this season, which is all he needs to qualify for the misguided 65 game threshold for post-season awards. Stephon Castle is also out, with soreness in his right knee, but it’s not expected to be a long term issue.
With their superstar and one of their top players out for the game, it looks like a tough game for the Spurs tonight playing against a Trail Blazers squad that has outperformed expectations this year under the leadership of head coach Tiago Splitter. This game means more for the Blazers standings than it does for the Spurs, as they really want to advance to the eighth spot where one victory in the play-in tournament lands them a playoff spot. The teams in 9th or 10th would have to win twice to advance, and then they would face the Thunder in the first round, which is no picnic.
Despite everything lined up against the Silver and Black tonight, they have several things in their favor tonight. De’Aaron Fox has always stepped up his game when Victor has to sit, making Fox the focal point of the offense. Also, this is Dylan Harper’s chance to shine, and he should have a good night showing off his drives to the hoop and improved three point shooting. Don’t forget Jordan McLaughlin who could have a big night, and Lindy Waters III who can fill up the basket. It might be a great time for Carter Bryant to have his first 30 point game as a pro. It time for the young guys to play free and easy, with not much on the line but putting together a good run of team play. I’ll say it. Spurs by 17! Go Spurs GOOOO!!
Game Prediction:
Tiago Splitter will suit up and outplay Mason Plumlee.
San Antonio Spurs vs Portland Trail Blazers April 8, 2026 | 8:30 PM CT Streaming: ESPN App TV: ESPN, FanDuel Sports Southwest Reminder: It is against site policy to post links to illegal streams in the comments.
There are so many factors that make Thursday’s showdown between the Knicks and Celtics at Madison Square Garden bigger than just a regular-season game.
For starters, it will be the first time the Knicks face Jayson Tatum this year. It will mark Tatum’s 16th game back since his remarkably quick recovery from a ruptured Achilles.
If the Knicks lose, it will end their pursuit of the No. 2 seed in the East. And the Cavaliers’ win Wednesday night means they are just a half- game behind the Knicks, who are trying to stave them off as the No. 3 seed.
And it very well could be the final preview of a likely playoff rematch. If the teams finish as the Nos. 2 and 3 seeds, they will be on a collision course to meet in the second round — just like last year — as long as they take care of business in the first round.
“I’m a big believer in taking care of the present and then I’ll take care of the future,” Karl-Anthony Towns said after practice Wednesday. “Right now, we just gotta stay in the present. [Thursday] is the most important game because it’s the next game of the season.”
Jaylen Brown (who is questionable for Thursday’s game with left Achilles tendinitis), a near lock to make All-NBA First Team, has helped carry the Celtics in what most thought would be a transition year — with Tatum sidelined for most of it and after Boston parted with several veterans in the offseason.
Now he has his co-star back, even if Tatum has looked a bit rusty. The Celtics are 13-2 in the 15 games Tatum has played since returning. When both are clicking, they are as good a 1-2 punch as any in the league. And it’s a duo that the Knicks and president Leon Rose had in mind when constructing the roster, pairing OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges as wing defenders to guard them.
“Both those guys are capable of erupting for 40 on any given night,” coach Mike Brown said Wednesday. “They take the load off of each other when it comes to scoring, which makes them extremely dangerous. That’s probably the biggest thing.”
It’s meaningful for Tatum: MSG is where he suffered the injury during Game 4 of last year’s series.
Jayson Tatum faces the Knicks for the first time since he ruptured his Achilles at the Garden during the playoffs last season. Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
“I’m not, like, thrilled to go back and play there,” Tatum said Tuesday. “Last time I played there, obviously, it was a traumatic experience for me.
“Obviously, I knew at some point I would have to get over that hurdle and play there again. So, it’s going to have to be this Thursday. But it’s not like I’m thrilled about it. But it’s part of it.”
The Knicks, for their own part, are happy they’re getting the Celtics at their best.
“To have him on the court, to me it’s an honor to be able to go against one of the best,” Towns said, “and I want to be able to go out there and test my skills against the best.”
Jayson Tatum drives on Jaime Jaquez Jr. during the Celtics’ blowout win over the Heat on April 1, 2026 in Miami. Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Added Bridges: “For him to get back, obviously the time is amazing, how he got it done in a quicker time. But that just shows his work ethic and the people he’s working with and his body, how it can speed up and heal faster than others. Credit to him and his people.”
Mike Brown described Tatum as “a great human being.”
Before the season, he said “this year, we gotta listen to insufferable Knicks fans” in a Netflix special, given last year’s playoff result. In October, he claimed Tom Thibodeau revealed secrets to beating the Knicks when he visited the Celtics after his firing. In a December livestream, he said “f–k the Knicks.” This week, he said last year’s elimination “felt like death” and that “this year is a different story.”
Mike Brown also heaped praise on Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla for the job he’s done with the Celtics this season, proving wrong the majority of preseason expectations for the team.
“If not at the top of the list [for Coach of the Year], he better be close in everybody’s mind, you gotta think about what Joe’s done,” Brown said. “Not just Joe, you gotta think about what Brad [Stevens has] done, putting that team together. He put together a specific group of players, they all have length, they all have toughness, they all have athleticism, they all can, for the most part pass, dribble and shoot. They’re threats out there and they’re relentless with their effort.
“But the head of the snake when it comes to that has to be Joe as head coach. He’s done a whale of a job with that group. Top to bottom, they deserve a lot of awards, in my opinion, going down the stretch. Even their players filling in, nobody’s tried to exceed what their role is. They still stayed within themselves and tried to contribute whatever they could to help the team win. Jaylen Brown did what he did and they’re sitting where they’re sitting because of all those things.”
Knicks-Celtics, given the rivalry, carries extra weight anyway. This meeting, given all it represents, provides even more intrigue.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 11: Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, from left, Stephen Curry #30 and Draymond Green #23 pose for photos during an Olympic Gold Medal recognition ceremony before their preseason game against the Sacramento Kings at Chase Center on October 11, 2024 in San Francisco, 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 Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
One of my favorite scenes from super hero movie lore comes from the Avengers, when a beaten down Doctor Strange, watching his whole squad getting served by the evil overlord Thanos, looked at fourteen million possible futures and found exactly one where the Avengers won.
One out of fourteen million. The Golden State Warriors just got their one.
The Warriors are now locked into the 10th seed. They’ll need to win two road games next week to get into the playoffs and a 1 v 8 matchup with the Thunder.
They’re locked into the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference. The season has quietly closed every door Golden State had left cracked open. Nothing about this bracket position inspires confidence from the outside. Which quite frankly is exactly how this franchise has always preferred it.
Here’s what the one road to glory looks like: win a road play-in game just to stay alive, then win another road play-in game to earn the right to face the Oklahoma City Thunder as the No. 8 seed. The Thunder just coasted to another 60+ win season. Best record in the Western Conference. They are the defending champions, they are the best team in basketball, and the only path to the second round runs directly through their building.
Strange saw one future where this works, meanwhie the Warriors need to believe they’re living in it.
Because the math has never been the point with this team. The 2007 “We Believe” squad had no business in the playoffs either. They walked in as the No. 8 seed, dismissed and disrespected, and left Dallas in ruins. That Warriors team didn’t beat the odds because the odds suddenly got friendlier. They beat them because Don Nelson drew up something the Mavericks couldn’t solve and the players executed it with a conviction that looked, from the outside, completely irrational. And hell, on the other end of the “odds” spectrum, when the Warriors won the most games in NBA regular season history they were robbed lost the championship. The Dubs are at their best as a sneering underdog because irrational conviction is a Golden State tradition.
And then there’s Steph Curry, 38 years old, two months removed from a knee injury, knocking the rust off in two games back off the injured list. He’s looking spry and motivated. He makes this impossible run possible, the one who bends gravity in fourth quarters and turns road arenas into science experiments. But enough to remind everyone that he exists, that he’s coming, and that no scouting report built on a 42 loss regular season accounts for what hell he can bring when the lights are brightest.
Strange didn’t say the Avengers would win easily. He said they’d win in the end. The difference is everything. All the Warriors need is one chance. Let’s go get it.
Sean Manaea was once again tasked with saving the Mets bullpen after David Peterson struggled to get past five innings.
While it wasn't Manaea's finest outing, he was still effective and helped the get the final 12 outs of the game to save the relievers for Thursday's rubber game against Arizona.
"Each day is trending in the right direction," Manaea said after the game. "Changeup and sweeper were really good. Sinker, I kinda lost it there [in the eighth inning], but overall I thought things are trending in the right direction."
Thursday marked Manaea's 10th career relief appearance of at least four innings and his third overall this season. He allowed two runs on five hits and two walks against the Diamondbacks.
Manaea said that he's doing a lot of different drills to potentially make him feel better. He said that every day, there's a plan for him and he just executes it.
Prior to first pitch, Mendoza said he doesn't plan to go to a six-man rotation. He reiterated that after the game, and was asked whether Manaea could replace a struggling Peterson in the rotation. The Mets skipper said that's not in his plan and they will continue to go with the same rotation they started the season with.
Manaea has learned to be comfortable in his new role.
"I’m here to help this team win any way I can," Manaea said. "My job is to do what I’ve been doing. I’m very happy doing that. Like I said before, we have five really good starting pitchers. I can help any way I can."
"[Manaea was] Good, able to keep us there," Mendoza said of his reliever. "Couple of plays we couldn’t make, gave up a couple of runs there. He was aggressive... I thought he was good."
Luis Robert Jr. unable to make the play
Those "couple play" Mendoza mentioned came in the eighth inning.
First, Robert Jr. nearly made a sliding catch in center but trapped it, allowing Ildemaro Vargas to get on with one out. Three batters later, and with the bases loaded, Jorge Barrosa lined a pitch to centerfield. The ball continued to travel toward the wall and Robert Jr. seemed to have a bead on it, but when he put his glove up to catch it, the ball bounced off it and fell for a double.
"He got there. Maybe that ball just kept on going and it went further than he anticipated," Mendoza said of the double. "He got there, he just missed it."
Carson Benge has struggled since Opening Day. He was 0-for-24 heading into the ninth inning of Wednesday's game. Benge got back on the hits board with a single through the right side.
"Yesterday, there were better at-bats. His work today was a lot better," Mendoza said of Benge. "Shorter, barrel going through the heart of the zone. The path was better. Good to see him get that hit right there. He’s going to be fine."
Benge has had a tough start to the season. He's slashing .108/.214/.403 with one home run and three RBI.
SAN FRANCISCO — The only thing harder to come by than a winning streak for Tony Vitello’s squad has been days where they send the home fans happy.
How about two birds with one stone?
With back-to-back shutouts by their pitching staff and a lineup that suddenly showed some thump, the Giants secured consecutive wins at Oracle Park for the first time this year, beating the Phillies 5-0 in front of a sunny Wednesday afternoon crowd of 36,106.
Tyler Mahle led the Giants’ second shutout effort in a row. Getty Images
Maybe, just maybe, the Giants’ fortunes are starting to turn.
“It’d be awesome to be in a better situation, but I think we found some things out about ourselves that can be valuable in the long run,” the first-year manager said after securing the series. “And we’re also playing pretty good ball right now.”
Tyler Mahle led the Giants’ second shutout effort in a row but left the game with the score still knotted at zero. The vibes shifted as soon as Rafael Devers squared up the first pitch he saw from Aaron Nola with two outs and two on in the bottom of the sixth.
Devers hit his second home run of the season. JOHN G MABANGLO/EPA/Shutterstock
Devers’ second home run of the season — and just his third extra-base hit — gave the Giants their first lead, and a group of four relievers protected it to earn Matt Gage his first career win.
The past two wins improved their record to 3-7 at home and earned their series win was their second of the season. Now, to do something they weren’t able to after taking two of three from the Padres in San Diego: Build on it.
“I could see the change in vibes when we got the lead,” Devers said through a team Spanish-language interpreter. “But that’s just in the moment. We realize as a team that things can change really quickly.”
And that’s the beauty of baseball.
Devers entered Wednesday batting below the Mendoza line and 3-for-14 with runners in scoring position. He grounded into a double play with two on and no outs in the fifth as San Francisco squandered a second prime scoring opportunity to keep the game scoreless.
“I know the type of hitter I am,” Devers said. “I don’t really dwell on how things are going. I just know that eventually, things will start clicking for me, especially, because I know the type of player I am.”
The Giants’ fortunes will likely hinge on Devers’ ability to anchor the middle of the order. Since acquiring him from the Red Sox last June, they have played 13 games below .500.
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If Devers can get going, in theory, so could the rest of the Giants’ lineup. They scored more than three runs in all three games against the Phillies, something they had done just twice in the 10 games entering the series.
“Only occasionally have I been in dugouts or heard players talk about a guy where they see him, they put him on a pedestal that’s different than others,” Vitello said of Devers.
Before Devers’ home run, there were some signs the Giants had luck on their side: Willy Adames started the inning with a double that fell between three defenders in shallow right field. Luis Arraez won an ABS challenge to draw his first walk of the year. And when Matt Chapman had back-to-back challenges go against him, Devers made sure those losses were quickly forgotten.
Devers smacks a three-run home run. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Other things that will help the Giants recover from an awful start that left them with the worst record in the National League: A bullpen that didn’t allow a run over 5 ⅔ innings to end the series, Mahle pitching into the sixth for the first time, a tough schedule starting to lighten up.
“Everyone’s kind of s—ing on us because we started out 3-7, or whatever,” said Mahle, who used an elite splitter to finish off four of his five strikeouts. “But it could have easily been a different story. I think we’re feeling good and ready to go have a good road trip.”
So far this season, the Giants have played four opponents with playoff hopes. Vitello said the other day that his club ran into a “buzzsaw” in their second game — Yankees starter Cam Schlittler — and had been trying to play catch up ever since.
“The first (series) was disappointing. There’s no shaking it,” Vitello said. “We got over emotional, our emotions were too high, we built it up too much and then got too low. And we also just didn’t play well. And we got beat.”
The Giants’ minus-27 run differential through 10 games was by far the worst in the majors and the franchise’s worst start to a season in more than a century. But after back-to-back wins, that margin is beginning to come back to earth: minus-16, no longer the worst in baseball.
“You start out 0-3, and it feels like you’re running in sand a little bit,” Vitello said. “But if you had a magic power and were able to remove that, we just played a road series against a tough divisional opponent, we played two teams that I assume … are predicted to be in the hunt as playoff teams, and we won two of those series and played .500 ball if I’m not mistaken.”
Now, as they head east for the first time this year, they have a chance to make up some ground. A road trip against the Orioles, Reds and Nationals should present a better chance to rack up wins than their first 13 games against the Yankees, Padres, Mets and Phillies.
“Especially after being in a little rut there, (we played) the kind of baseball we know we can play,” Mahle said. “Putting up zeros, guys playing defense and all over the base paths. That’s what we can do on a normal basis, and it showed the last two nights.”
TORONTO (AP) — Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz left Wednesday’s loss to the Washington Capitals early in the first period with a lower-body injury.
The Toronto starter was hurt after stretching out his left leg to get a pad on Cole Hutson’s shot from distance.
Stolarz immediately collapsed to the ice and pulled off his mask before one of the referees blew the play dead.
The 32-year-old was attended to by a trainer and had to be helped off the ice by teammates before heading down the tunnel to the locker room.
Coach Craig Berube announced after the 4-0 loss that Artur Akhtyamov will be recalled from the American Hockey League and make his first NHL appearance Thursday when the Maple Leafs visit the New York Islanders.
“I’ve really liked him right from camp,” Berube said of the 24-year-old Russian selected 106th overall at the 2020 NHL draft. “Great personality. He’s played well down there. He’s a competitor and he’s really got fast reflexes."
The Maple Leafs also lost forward Dakota Joshua (upper body) and defenseman Brandon Carlo (lower body) to injuries later in the game against Washington.
Berube said Luke Haymes and William Villeneuve will join Akhtyamov as AHL call-ups. Haymes is also slated to make his NHL debut Thursday for the Maple Leafs, who are set to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
The NBA's annual play-in tournament is less than a week away. We know, we're shocked, too. However, despite the proximity to the end of the regular season, there are only two teams currently locked into their seeds in the Eastern and Western conferences.
Only the Golden State Warriors (locked into the Western Conference's No. 10 seed) and Detroit Pistons (locked into the Eastern Conference's No. 1 seed) know for sure where they'll rank by season's end.
Other than them, it's an absolute mish-mosh of what-ifs and maybes that could shape the NBA's postseason, with five teams in the Eastern Conference fighting it out to ensure they avoid the play-in.
Here are the current NBA standings and what the NBA postseason and play-in tournament would look like if the season ended today.
The Bucks, Bulls, Nets, Pacers and Wizards have been eliminated from postseason contention.
NBA Western Conference standings
d - Oklahoma City Thunder: 63-16
d - San Antonio Spurs: 60-19 (3 GB)
x - Denver Nuggets: 51-28 (12 GB)
d - Los Angeles Lakers: 50-29 (13 GB)
x - Houston Rockets: 50-29 (13 GB)
x - Minnesota Timberwolves: 47-32 (16 GB)
Phoenix Suns: 43-36 (20 GB)
Los Angeles Clippers: 41-38 (22 GB)
Portland Trail Blazers: 40-29 (23 GB)
Golden State Warriors: 37-42 (26 GB)
The Pelicans, Grizzlies, Mavericks, Kings and Jazz have been eliminated from postseason contention.
NBA playoffs bracket
(Through Tuesday, April 7)
Eastern Conference
(1) Detroit Pistons vs. (8) Play-In Winner
(4) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks
(3) New York Knicks vs. (6) Toronto Raptors
(2) Boston Celtics vs. (7) Play-In Winner
Western Conference
(1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (8) Play-In Winner
(4) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (5) Houston Rockets
(3) Denver Nuggets vs. (6) Minnesota Timberwolves
(2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (7) Play-In Winner
NBA Play-In Tournament
(Through Tuesday, April 7)
Eastern Conference
(7) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (8) Orlando Magic
(9) Charlotte Hornets vs. (10) Miami Heat
Western Conference
(7) Phoenix Suns vs. (8) Los Angeles Clippers
(9) Portland Trail Blazers vs. (10) Golden State Warriors
When do the NBA playoffs begin?
The NBA Play-In Tournament begins Tuesday, April 14 and finishes Friday, April 17.
The NBA playoffs begin the very next day, Saturday, April 18, featuring eight teams in each conference after two teams from both the East and West are eliminated in the Play-In Tournament.
Game 1 of the NBA Finals will be on Wednesday, June 3.
Which upcoming games could impact the postseason standings?
With just five days left in the regular season, every game matters, but there are a few games that could have serious impact on the end-of-season standings.
Wednesday, April 8
Atlanta Hawks at Cleveland Cavaliers
Oklahoma City Thunder at LA Clippers
Thunder can clinch top seed with win or Spurs loss
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - MARCH 31: Zach Eflin #24 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches against the Texas Rangers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on March 31, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Bill Streicher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The news on Zach Eflin’s injury came back on Wednesday evening and it was as bad as you could have guessed from the get-go. The Orioles announced that Eflin had Tommy John surgery to repair the torn ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow on Wednesday.
The only surprising thing about the announcement is that we skipped the step where we find out that Eflin has a torn UCL and soon will be getting Tommy John surgery. He was known to be flying to Dallas yesterday to have a second opinion consult with one of the current commonly-used surgeons for TJ. Although they didn’t announce it yesterday, it’s clear that second opinion resulted in, “Let’s just get you scheduled tomorrow.”
This outcome was telegraphed when the Orioles placed Eflin on the 60-day injured list earlier this week, meaning it was clear to them he wouldn’t be back for a while. It was also telegraphed more or less from when he walked off the mound in his first start of the year. When a player throws a pitch, leaves with the trainer without doing any warm-up tosses, and the injury announcement is about his throwing elbow, that tends to end up here almost every time.
It’s a bummer of a development for Eflin and for the team. Eflin looked like he was back to a better version of himself with how he was pitching in spring training. It seemed like he might have been behind the back issues that caused him to miss a lot of time last season and pitch badly when he was not on the injured list. The Orioles re-signed Eflin for a $10 million contract for this season with a mutual option for 2027 because they were willing to bet on that comeback. It was working, at least until something entirely unrelated went wrong.
The mutual option for 2027 was set for $25 million. There’s no chance now that the Orioles exercise that option. Perhaps there’s a chance of renegotiating the contract, with Eflin getting a smaller guarantee for 2027 – let’s say in the $6-8 million range – and the Orioles getting a team option for 2028.
That depends on what Eflin wants and what the team wants also. There can be some benefit to the player to having continuity with one team for his rehab work. The Orioles may still want post-surgery Eflin to be around starting next June or July and if that’s the case, they may be willing to guarantee him a little money to get the first look after he’s back in action. On the other hand, maybe they don’t want to carry an injured guy on the 40-man roster through next offseason. There is no 60-day injured list outside of the season.
Another thing that’s not clear at this moment is how the Orioles intend to replace Eflin in the rotation over the long haul. Although many people, including me, long assumed that Dean Kremer would appear the first time there was an injury in the Orioles rotation, the O’s went out of their way to not call him back to the majors after Eflin went down.
A spot start went to Brandon Young on Monday and the next one will go to Cade Povich on Sunday. Young’s spot start went fine, as did Povich’s emergency long relief back on Sunday. We’ll see how he fares against a team that’s not the White Sox.
The White Sox are paying homage to their most famous fan during an August giveaway.
Chicago’s American League team will give fans who purchase special tickets to their Aug. 11 game against the Reds a White Sox-themed pope hat in honor of Chicago native and White Sox fan, Pope Leo XIV.
Fans looking to land one of the black and green hats with a White Sox logo in the middle will need to purchase a ticket in one of five designated sections at Rate Field, otherwise they’ll need to say a prayer to get their hands on one.
Pope Leo XIV (C) reacts wearing a Chicago White Sox baseball team cap as he meets newly wedded couples during the weekly general audience in St Peter’s Square at the Vatican on June 11, 2025. AFP via Getty Images
He is an avid sports fan, and his White Sox support even became a mini-controversy as both Chicago baseball teams attempted to claim his support after his election.
“He was never, ever a Cubs fan, so I don’t know where that came from. He was always a Sox fan. Our mother was a Cubs fan,” his brother John told WGN-TV in May 2025.
He wore a White Sox cap at the Vatican last summer and playfully ribbed a Cubs fan by yelling “they lost” when a Cubs fan yelled “Go Cubs” at him.
And just last month, a fan who yelled “God bless the White Sox” while he drove by received a thumbs-up from Leo.
While the pope has kept the faith in his White Sox, they’ve struggled out of the gate this season.
A fan dressed as the Pope claps during the first inning of the game between the Chicago White Sox and the Toronto Blue Jays at Rate Field. Matt Marton-Imagn Images
The White Sox opened the season with three straight losses and lost five of their first six games.
