Apr 12, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt (12) on the field making a pitching change against the Atlanta Braves during the ninth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
Angel Martinez’s continued possible breakout put the Guardians up 5-2 in the top of the 8th. The Guardians always win when they lead 5-2 in the top of the 8th.
Following an RBI double by George Valera that made it 3-2, Martinez added one of his own that brought 2 more runs in. But in between, Stephen Vogt made a move that cost him the game. Valera was replaced by the even slower Juan Brito on the bases, because the team…… doesn’t trust Valera to…… not hurt himself running? I guess? (Leave him in AAA for another few days then, guys.)
Erik Sabrowski gave up two thirds of that lead in the bottom of the inning which made it 5-4. Then in the bottom of the 9th, Cade Smith retired the Cardinals 1-2-3. Oh, that’s right, I said Vogt cost the team the game. So how did that happen if there was a 1-2-3 ninth? Brito botched the third out, a routine ground ball, and then Yohei Pozo tied it. Brito’s fielding was a major issue in Goodyear, and it’s been a problem this month, too.
David Fry was also catching because he hit for Bo Naylor, and did not make any of the tough plays that an elite catcher makes some of.
Around baseball
• The Cubs and Padres are interested in LGFT Lucas Giolito.
• If you want to see Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal talk about pitching for 45 minutes, this is a link for you. Mentioned: Austin Hedges. Not mentioned: Will Wilson.
• Yesterday was the 19th anniversary of a person with a Patriots logo on their torso throwing something accurately. No, not that guy.
Manager calls on players and fans to embrace the chance of Champions League success despite recent defeats
There was a dramatic pause when Mikel Arteta was asked what he wants from the Arsenal supporters against Sporting on Wednesday evening in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final.
After his attempts to rouse them before the early kick-off against Bournemouth at the weekend by telling them to “bring your lunch” backfired spectacularly with a costly home defeat that ended with some fans booing the Premier League leaders off the pitch, this time the message was more considered.
Okay, the most important game of the season is here folks. No more dress rehearsals, no more what ifs. It’s time to lock in for some Play-In tournament basketball! After a 37-win season, somehow someway the Golden State Warriors still have a chance to fight for an NBA title. Let the games begin (again)!
Golden State Warriors (37-45) at Los Angeles Clippers (42-40)
When: Wednesday, April 15, 2026 | 7:00 PM PT
Where: Intuit Dome
TV: Amazon Prime Video
Radio: 95.7 The Game
Let’s talk about what it means to carry something, Dub Nation.
Not the fun kind of carrying where you have the Steph-in-his-prime effortless kind where he’s pulling up from the logo and the crowd is already celebrating before it leaves his hand. I’m talking about the the other kind where you look left and right and realize the army you were promised is gone, and it’s just you and a bunch of soldiers who are going to have to figure it out on the fly.
That’s the assignment Wednesday night at Intuit Dome.
Jimmy Butler III — done for the season. Moses Moody — gone. Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford have barely shared the floor with Steph. The Warriors went 1-3 against the Clippers this regular season, and dropped the most recent meeting 115-110 on Sunday. That was a game where Curry logged 29 minutes, his most since returning, and dropped 24 points on 7-of-14 shooting.
This is the context. Eyes open…and yet.
The single most dangerous offensive player on a basketball court Wednesday night is Stephen Curry. Not Kawhi Leonard, who’s been remarkable (career-high 27.9 points per game on a career-best 62.9 true shooting percentage). Not Darius Garland, who has quietly become a legitimate secondary weapon patterned, by his own admission, after studying Curry’s game.
Ty Lue knows it too. The man who won a championship coaching against Curry said this week he’s “sick” of seeing him in the postseason. That’s not bulletin board material folks, that’s a confession. Lue is already thinking about what happens if Curry gets going, already scheming to limit his three-point attempts, already knowing that 24 points in the regular season finale means nothing about what’s possible when the calendar flips to April postseason basketball.
Dub Nation, this is it. Banged up hitting the road, running on fumes and faith. But they’ve got the best player on the floor, a franchise legend playing for everything, and absolutely nothing to lose. Win, and they fight again. Lose, and this season ends at Intuit Dome, the same building where Sunday’s loss briefly made it feel like it was already over.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - APRIL 14: Christian Walker #8 of the Houston Astros celebrates after hitting a solo home run during the second inning against the Colorado Rockies at Daikin Park on April 14, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Astros overcame an early 3-0 deficit with a Christian Walker home run and a six-run third inning, then hold on for a 7-6 win over the Rockies at Daikin Park.
It didn’t go according to plan in any manner, except the end result.
Making his first start of the season for the Houston Astros, Colton Gordon struggled and couldn’t make it out of the fourth inning. The beleaguered bullpen had to come up with another 6.1 innings, and they were just good enough to hold a 7-3 lead for a 7-6 victory.
Gordon got the first two outs of the game before giving up a solo homer to Hunter Goodman:
He closed out the inning with a strikeout on the next batter.
In the second inning, Gordon again got the first two outs before allowing back-to-back singles to Jordan Beck and Kyle Karros. Jake McCarthy then laced a bases-clearing triple to give Colorado a 3-0 lead.
In the top of the third, Gordon allowed a leadoff single to Brenton Doyle, and then got a pair of strikeouts. Doyle was then cut down trying to steal by Christian Vazquez to end the inning.
In the bottom of the third, the Astros would break the game open with some big hits and some brutal Rockies defense.
Vazquez led off with a double. It was his 4th double of the season. Jose Altuve then popped up on the infield for should have been an easy out, but Rockies 2B Willi Castro dropped the ball, giving the Astros two on and no out.
Yordan Alvarez then obliterated a baseball at 114.2 MPH for a 2 run double.
Isaac Paredes would follow with a walk. Carlos Correa would bounce into a force play, with Paredes forced out at second. Christian Walker would then hit a ground ball to third. Kyle Karros fielded the ball and threw home, trying to get Alvarez at the plate. The throw beat him but the catcher Goodman couldn’t apply the tag in time, and Yordan scored to give the Astros a 4-3 lead.
Cam Smith would then rip a single the other way to right to drive in Correa to make it a 5-3 game.
Joey Loperfido came to bat next, and he would reach on an error by 2B Castro, his second error of the inning. Walker would score to make it 6-3 Houston.
After Brice Matthews struck out, Vazquez would bounce one through the hole into left field to score Smith and make it 7-3 Astros going to the 4th inning.
In the top of the fourth, Gordon would again get the first two outs before finding himself in trouble. This time, he gave up a solo homer to Jordan Beck to make it a 7-4 game.
After the home run, Gordon then allowed back to back singles, and then hit a batter to load the bases, and that would be all for Colton Gordon. He finished the night with 3.2 IP, 4 ER, 8H, 0 BB, 5K, 2 HR.
A.J. Blubaugh was summoned to get Houston of the jam. With Blubaugh (a RHP) replacing Gordon (a LHP), the Rockies pinch hit Mickey Monial for Brenton Doyle. Blubaugh would get Moniak to pop to short to end the inning and the threat.
In the top of the 5th, Hunter Goodman led off with his 2nd homer of the game and 4th of the season to make it a 7-5 game.
Things in the 6th and 7th would be quiet for the first time in the game, but in the 8th the Rockies would make some noise.
Kai-Wei Teng walked 2 of the first 3 batters to face him in the 8th. Joe Espada would go to his bullpen and summon lefty Bryan King. The Rockies would then counter by having Troy Johnston pinch hit for Jake McCarthy.
McCarthy would line an RBI single to center to make it a 7-6 game. King then got a strikeout and a pop-up in the next two batters to quell the rally.
Things then got a little dicey in the 9th. Bryan King, who came on to get out of a mess in the 8th, would open the 9th and get a pair of quick outs.
Then the trouble started. King allowed back to back hits to TJ Rumfield and Ezekiel Tovar. That would be all for Bryan King.
Enyel De Los Santos came on to get the final out and finish the job, and did so with a 5 pitch strikeout.
Wednesday, the Astros will hope to keep things going in Game 2 of their 3 game series with Spencer Arrighetti.
The Columbus Blue Jackets got a big bump after changing coaches to Rick Bowness, but a slump down the stretch cost them a playoff berth.
And Bowness was furious, ripping into the team after a 2-1 loss to the Washington Capitals in the season finale on Tuesday, April 14.
"All you have to do is look at the stat sheet," Bowness said. "Three hits and 23 giveaways. I don't know if I'm back, but if I'm back I'm changing this culture. These guys, they don't care. Losing is not important enough to them. It doesn't bother them. How can you go out and play like that? This is why we're out of the playoffs. That kind of effort."
The Blue Jackets went 21-11-5 after Bowness replaced fired Dean Evason on Jan. 12, but it happened in two stretches. There was a 10-1 run heading into the Olympics and a 2-8-1 slide down the stretch.
An emotional and angry Rick Bowness goes OFF on his #CBJ team after their 2-8-1 finish to the season: “These guys, they don’t care. Losing is not important enough to them … If I’m back, we’re changing this freaking culture.” pic.twitter.com/ZjBpaxhmPB
"We talked about it after the Olympic break," he said. "It's going to get tough. It's going to get hard. So everything is going good when it's going their way and now it gets tough, we don't want to battle back."
Bowness was hired through the end of the season with the plan to talk to general manager Don Waddell after the season about whether he'll return. He said he will change the "freaking culture" if he does.
"Some of those guys are so lucky the season is over and there's no practice tomorrow," he said.
Tuesday's game was meaningless because the Blue Jackets were eliminated on April 14. It was their sixth consecutive loss at home and their sixth season out of the playoffs.
"It's terrible and inexcusable," he said. "If they're not embarrassed by not only tonight, but that, they're on the wrong team."
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 18: Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns handles the ball against Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors during the first half of the NBA game at Mortgage Matchup Center on December 18, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. 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 Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We don’t know if the Golden State Warriors season will extend beyond Wednesday. The Dubs face an uphill battle in the first round of the play-in tournament, as they have to go on the road to beat an LA Clippers team that has been finding a groove late in the season.
But if the Warriors do win that game, which is at 7:00 p.m. PT on Prime Video, then we now know who they’ll face next: the Phoenix Suns.
The first play-in tournament games took place on Tuesday, and in the Western Conference the No. 8 Portland Trail Blazers beat the No. 7 Phoenix Suns 114-110. With that, the Blazers advance to the playoffs as the West’s seventh seed, and will have a first-round showdown with Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs.
As for the Suns, they’ll now enter a win-or-go-home situation. On Friday night, at 7:00 p.m. PT on Prime Video, Phoenix will host the winner of the Warriors vs. Clippers game.
That’s the more favorable matchup for the Warriors, who went 1-3 against the Blazers in the regular season, and have struggled with Portland’s athleticism over the last few years. The Dubs did much better against the Suns, winning three of four regular season games. Phoenix has also been struggling down the stretch, so it’s a matchup Golden State would likely feel pretty good about should they advance.
But first, the Warriors have to beat the Clippers. Only after doing that can they focus on beating the Suns … which would earn them the eighth seed in the West, and a date with the defending-champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
PHOENIX — Deni Avdija showed he’s got a little bit of the clutch gene in his initial foray into postseason basketball.
The first-time All-Star followed a breakout regular season with a fantastic all-around performance in Tuesday’s NBA play-in tournament, scoring 41 points to lead the Portland TrailBlazers over the Phoenix Suns for a 114-110 win to clinch the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
The Blazers are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2021 after clawing back from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter. They’ll face the No. 2 seed San Antonio Spurs in the first round.
“It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me in my career so far,” Avdija said.
The 25-year-old Avdija had never played in the NBA’s postseason until Tuesday — toiling for more than five years on mediocre teams in Washington and Portland — but looked comfortable on the bigger stage. He had the winning three-point play with 16.1 seconds left, scoring on a physical take to the rim while being fouled and then converting the free throw.
Blazers guard Jrue Holiday — a two-time NBA champion with Milwaukee and Boston — was impressed with Avdija’s composure. He shot 15 of 22 from the field while adding 12 assists and seven rebounds.
Holiday said the best part of Avdija’s performance was it was “kind of an off night.”
“I feel like he’s unique. Nobody does what he does,” Holiday said. “Deni coming out here, carrying us, especially down the stretch, getting that winning bucket and being able to go home knowing we’re playing San Antonio is something you love to see in Deni because this is what we expect from him now.”
Deni Avdija, who scored 41 points, celebrates during the Trail Blazers 114-110 win over the Suns on April 14, 2026 in Phoenix. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Avdija and the rest of the young Blazers kept their cool during a physical game that featured plenty of hard fouls. Holiday finished with 21 points and Jerami Grant returned from a calf injury to score 16.
“I think back to the beginning of the season, we weren’t very disciplined at staying together and finishing games,” Avdija said. “I feel like we showed character today. We showed growth, we showed character, we showed we were capable of keeping our composure and making winning plays.”
Blazers coach Tiago Splitter agreed that Avdija didn’t have his best night despite the big numbers. He said the 6-foot-8 forward’s next test will be facing a Spurs team that will throw different looks at him on defense in a playoff series.
If Tuesday night was any indication, he’ll be just fine.
“He just kept going, kept believing in himself,” Splitter said. “Scored a couple buckets at the end there. A little bit of what he did the whole season, played 38 minutes, had the ball a lot and decided the game.”
With the Mets riding a six-game losing streak and struggling to produce runs, Francisco Lindor's leadoff home run on Tuesday night against Los Angeles Dodgers star Yoshinobu Yamamoto provided a glimmer of hope for what could be a breakout game for the offense.
The Mets are now 7-11 on the year after starting 7-4 and have scored more than two runs just once (11-6 loss to Athletics on April 11) during their skid. After the game, Lindor was asked if the team is feeling desperate to get back in the win column, saying they understand the current urgency level and believe it can turn around.
"The desperation level? The urgency level is really high," Lindor said. "I don't think no one here is desperate, but we understand we have to win; it's a must-win. We're not going to sit here and just say, 'We'll get 'em, we'll get 'em, we'll get 'em.' It's everybody here has a sense of urgency and we're all trying to win. It's just a matter of time; we have to get it done.
"We're still in the middle of April and we have the opportunity to finish the month on the positive side. Everyone here understands that the task is winning and we're all going for it."
Lindor accounted for two of the team's four hits against Yamamoto, finishing the game 2-for-4 with the HR (his first of the year and his first RBI) and a strikeout. He was asked if it's been challenging for the group not to be pressing at the plate while they've been struggling, reminding everyone that you need to have a short memory in baseball, whether the result has been good or bad.
"It's human nature to get mad, to get frustrated, to say, 'You know what, this has got to end,' it's human nature," Lindor said. "But, in baseball, you get an opportunity the next day. So you got to learn from it, you got to turn the page as quick as you can and come back tomorrow.
"Tomorrow we face [Shohei] Ohtani. You can't just sit here and dwell on it for a very long time. We got to come back tomorrow and face another ace. That's it. Bottom line: when you win, short-term memory; when you lose, short-term memory as well."
Lindor noted he felt the intensity of the team's at-bats was improved compared to previous games. He knows they'll need to carry the same approach against Ohtani on Wednesday, but it'll be quite the challenge, as the reigning two-time NL MVP is 1-0 over two starts (12.0 IP) with a 0.00 ERA and 0.75 WHIP this season.
"It felt like just the conversations, the engagements, and felt like every at-bat we were going to get a hit," Lindor said. "Alvy [Francisco Alvarez] took great at-bats, took good pitches. We took good pitches, you know, Yamamoto was throwing splits 92 miles per hour and executing the location.
"It's one of those where as the game goes on, you see the at-bats, you see the way guys take pitches. It looked really good. Hats off to Yamamoto. Tomorrow we got to bring it again."
The Vancouver Canucks wrapped up their 2025-26 home schedule with a 4-3 overtime victory over the Los Angeles Kings. DeBrusk scored twice, including the overtime winner, while Zeev Buium and defenceman Elias Pettersson also found the back of the net. As for Kevin Lankinen, he was solid in net as he stopped 31 of the 34 shots he faced.
Vancouver rewarded the home crowd on Fan Appreciation Night as they picked up just their ninth victory at Rogers Arena this season. Overall, the game featured some excitement and ended with a special moment as the entire Canucks team shook Anže Kopitar's hand for the final time in his NHL career. In what has been a frustrating and disappointing campaign, Tuesday's victory was a hard-fought victory that also extended Vancouver's current win streak to three games.
"Well, I'm glad the fans saw a great game," said Adam Foote post-game. "But you know, we just went out, the guys are feeling good about themselves and playing as a team. As you saw again, fighting for each other. You know that was a big game for LA to get, trying to get the home ice and potentially not play, you know who. Well, you guys saw what I liked."
As for DeBrusk, he spoke about the challenges at home this season, saying, "It's been a tough go, especially for the fans. I think that the biggest thing I've noticed is how seats are still pretty much packed, and it's a good crowd every single night. So, you know, it's a small consolation, but especially on fan appreciation night. Guys are talking about it. It is on our minds. And obviously it went the distance, so it was nice to get that one and hear the crowd for the last time this year.
The Canucks were able to skate away with a win largely thanks to Lankinen's play. He stopped all 13 of 15 shots he faced in the second before going a perfect 15-for-15 in the third. With the win, Lankinen also pushes his personal win streak to three games as he picked up his 91st career victory.
One player who deserves some praise for his performance is Aatu Räty. The 23-year-old was dominant in the faceoff dot, as he went 17 for 21 on the night. Räty's ability to win draws virtually anywhere ice has become a useful skill that should help him secure a full-time spot next season.
In the end, Tuesday was a successful night for the organization. The victory featured some impressive performances from young players as well as a rare win at Rogers Arena. Tuesday was also another example of the new culture within the group, as players continued to stand up for one another.
Apr 14, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Zeev Buium (24) scores on Los Angeles Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper (35) as forward Jake DeBrusk (74) battles with defenseman Brian Dumoulin (2) in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Stats and Facts:
Filip Hronek wins 2025-26 Cyclone Taylor Trophy
Filip Hronek wins 2025-26 Walter (Babe) Pratt Trophy
Zeev Buium wins 2025-26 Pavel Bure Award
Drew O'Connor wins 2025-26 Fred J. Hume Award
Scoring Summary:
1st Period:
9:21- VAN: Elias Pettersson (3) from Kirill Kudryavtsev and Marco Rossi 17:15- LAK: Quinton Byfield (23) from Alex Laferriere and Trevor Moore
2nd Period:
00:52- VAN: Jake DeBrusk (22) from Brock Boeser and Filip Hronek (PPG) 1:04- LAK: Adrian Kempe (36) from Anže Kopitar and Artemi Panarin 2:17- LAK: Alex Laferriere (21) from Drew Doughty and Quinton Byfield 9:20- VAN: Zeev Buium (6) from Nils Höglander and Elias Pettersson
3rd Period:
No Scoring
Overtime:
2:58- VAN: Jake DeBrusk (23) from Elias Pettersson and Tom Willander
Up Next:
The Canucks will wrap up their season on Thursday against the Edmonton Oilers. This season, Vancouver has beaten Edmonton just once in three attempts. Game time is scheduled for 6:00 pm PT.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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Nolan McLean continues to impress with every outing, but Tuesday night's matchup against the defending World Series champion Dodgers was arguably his best start yet.
Going up against Yoshinobu Yamamoto, McLean held the vaunted Dodgers offense to just one run on two hits across seven innings while striking out eight. Unfortunately for the Mets, Yamamoto held their lineup to just one run on four hits before the Dodgers lineup scratched a run across on New York's bullpen to pull out the 2-1 win.
"They were both awesome," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said of the pitcher's duel. "Yamamoto was pretty nasty, but Nolan was pretty nasty too. They went head-to-head. It was inning after inning, batter after batter, pitch after pitch. They made it tough on hitters. Sucks losing that one, especially when you get that type of outing. But they were both on their game today."
It's tough for any pitcher to pitch on the road in Los Angeles, let alone against a lineup that features Shohei Ohtani among other future Hall of Famers, but the moment wasn't too big for McLean.
The 24-year-old has been lauded for his even-keel demeanor and competitiveness since he was called up late last year and that shone through on Tuesday. McLean was asked about whether he had some "extra juice" pitching against the Dodgers, and the right-hander made it seem like any other start.
"Maybe a little bit, but like I’ve said before, I try to treat every start the same, no matter who's standing in the box or where I’m at," McLean said after the game. "I just want to win every time I go out there. I grew up a baseball fan, and getting to watch some of these guys on TV growing up, it’s cool to compete against them."
And compete he did.
The only run the Dodgers scored off of McLean came in the first inning, but not off a home run or extra-base hit, but on a groundout.
After Francisco Lindor gave McLean and the Mets the early 1-0 lead on a leadoff homer, the Dodgers scratched across the tying run in the first. A one-out walk to Kyle Tucker came back to bite McLean after Will Smith doubled to put him in scoring position and Freddie Freeman's dribbler allowed Tucker to scamper home. The Dodgers wouldn't get close to scoring a run again off McLean.
"Outside of the walk in the first inning, I felt like I filled the zone up and was attacking guys," McLean explained. "Once I got it to two strikes, it was much easier to pitch with two strikes than behind in the count. I was comfortable getting there and I was happy with the way I was getting two strikes."
That emphasis on throwing first-pitch strikes helped McLean pitch seven innings for just the third time in his career, including Tuesday. It's the first time he's done it this season.
McLean says that whether hitters put the ball in play or get a strike called on the first pitch he throws, they are both wins for him, so it's worth it to use his fastball to get ahead in counts. Of the 95 pitches he threw, 49 of them were either the four-seam or sinker (51 percent), and 37 of his 68 strikes were from those two pitches.
And once he got ahead, McLean used any of his six pitches to get the Dodgers bats out.
"Not only on Shohei, but some of their hitters [like] Freddie Freeman... that first at-bat and some of the swings he was taking, he pretty much dominated one of the best lineups in the league," Mendoza said. "That goes to show you how good of a pitcher Nolan is when he’s at his best. And today was one of those nights."
And the Mets needed McLean at his best. Although they outhit the Dodgers, the Mets could only push across one run and didn't capitalize on opportunities like in the eighth when Yamamoto was out of the game and they had runners on second and third and two outs.
Over the last seven games (all losses), the Mets have scored a combined 10 runs.
"He kept us in the game. He did a really good job," Lindor said of McLean's outing. "Gave us quick innings, chances for us to score. Gave us the momentum and we didn’t capitalize on it. It’s one of those where you wish you got it done for him. He pitched his butt off today. Even though he gave us momentum every single inning. We gotta do our best to win games like this."
The Mets will look to snap their losing streak without McLean on the mound when they take on Ohtani and the Dodgers in the final game of their three-game set on Wednesday.
Two cases rocked the football industry this week, one your typical footy folderol that everyone hyperventilates over for several days, the other an incident that cut to the core of a league trying to effect serious cultural change. In both instances, all parties professed absolute certainty in their version of events.
First, to the relatively trivial matter, where umpire Nick Foot alleged that Port Adelaide’s Zak Butters abused him by asking: “How much are they paying you?” Complicating matters was the fact that the senior umpire, and I can’t believe I’m typing this, also moonlights as a betting analyst for Sportsbet. All parties brooked no doubt as to what had happened. Foot was “100% adamant” he was insulted. Butters was “100% sure” he wasn’t. Ollie Wines was “100% confident” it didn’t happen.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — LaMelo Ball made a layup with 4.7 seconds left in overtime, Miles Bridges blocked Davion Mitchell’s attempt at a winning layup at the buzzer, and the Charlotte Hornets beat Miami 127-126 in a wild start to the NBA’s play-in games, eliminating the Heat from the playoffs on Tuesday night.
Ball finished with 30 points and 10 assists and Bridges had 28 points and nine rebounds as the Hornets won their first postseason home game in a decade. Coby White had 19 points, including a turnaround 3 with 10.8 second left in regulation to send the game to OT.
Mitchell scored 28 points and Andrew Wiggins added 27 for the Heat, who lost Bam Adebayo to a lower back injury when Ball tripped him in the second quarter.
The Hornets will travel to face the loser of Wednesday’s matchup between Philadelphia and Orlando on Friday night for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Charlotte is seeking its first playoff appearance in a decade.
TRAIL BLAZERS 114, SUNS 110
PHOENIX (AP) — Deni Avdija scored 41 points — including a go-ahead 3-point play with 16.1 seconds left — and Portland clawed back from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat Phoenix in the NBA’s play-in tournament.
Jordan Goodwin drove for a layup to give the Suns a 110-109 lead with 32 seconds left, but Avdija, who also had 12 assists, responded with a physical take to the rim, making a layup while getting fouled and made the free throw for a 112-110 lead.
The Suns had a chance to go back ahead but Jalen Green’s 3-pointer was off the mark. Goodwin grabbed the offensive rebound but was stripped by Matisse Thybulle to seal the win for the Blazers.
Portland earned the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference playoffs and will face the San Antonio Spurs in the first round. The Suns will host the winner of the Clippers-Warriors game on Friday. Whoever wins will earn the No. 8 seed and face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the playoffs. The loser’s season is over.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 14: Michael King #34 of the San Diego Padres pitches during the first inning of a game against the Seattle Mariners at Petco Park on April 14, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
No one expected a high scoring game when the San Diego Padres hosted the Seattle Mariners for the first game of a three-game series at Petco Park on Thursday. Michael King was on the mound for the Padres and Bryan Woo was pitching for the Mariners so both offenses knew opportunities to score would be limited. In the end, it was the San Diego lineup that made the most of the success it had against Woo, which resulted in a 4-1 win over Seattle.
King and Woo battled back-and-forth through the sixth inning, but it was the Mariners who would allow their starter to pitch into the seventh inning. The Padres had a 3-1 lead after six innings and the bullpen was set and ready to follow the winning blueprint with Adrian Morejon handling the seventh inning, Jason Adam taking the eighth inning and Mason Miller closing in the ninth to take earn their sixth win in as many games.
The San Diego offense got to Woo in the bottom of the third inning after King allowed a run in the top of the second. With Seattle leading 1-0, Ramon Laureano hit a one-out triple off the base of the wall in right field. He scored one batter later when Fernando Tatis Jr. singled up the middle to ties the game, 1-1. Jackson Merrill followed with another single to move Tatis Jr. to third. The Padres had runners on the corners with two outs after Manny Machado popped out for the second out of the inning.
Merrill stole second base to put runners at second and third for Xander Bogaerts, who came through once again with a big hit. Bogaerts singled to center field which allowed Tatis Jr. and Merrill to score to give San Diego a 3-1 lead. Gavin Sheets followed with a flyout to shortstop to end the inning, but the Padres had a lead they would not relinquish.
San Diego tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth inning after Merrill doubled to start the inning off Seattle reliever Casey Legumina. Machado hit a deep flyball out to left field, which allowed Merrill to move to third base. Bogaerts came through once again with his third RBI of the game which came on a single to right field to give the Padres a 4-1 lead. Miller trotted into the game from the bullpen in the top of the ninth and recorded outs against all three Mariners he faced.
King finished his day on the mound after allowing one run on four hits through six innings. He also recorded five strikeouts and allowed just two walks. Woo was taken out of the game after completing seven innings. He allowed three runs on eight hits with one walk and three strikeouts.
Merrill and Bogaerts led the offense for the Padres with three hits each. Merrill scored two runs and Bogaerts recorded three RBI.
San Diego plays the second game of the series against Seattle on Wednesday at 6:40 p.m.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Jake DeBrusk scored his second goal of the game in overtime and the Vancouver Canucks beat the Los Angeles Kings 4-3 on Tuesday night.
DeBrusk collected a pass from center Elias Pettersson and tapped a shot in to seal the victory 2:58 into the extra period.
Defenseman Elias Pettersson opened the scoring for the Canucks (25-48-8), and DeBrusk and Zeev Buium added goals in the second period. Elias Pettersson had two assists. The Canucks won their third straight game for the first time since Dec. 14-20, when they took four straight road victories.
Kevin Lankinen stopped 31 of the 34 shots he faced as Vancouver improved to 9-27-5 on home ice this season.
Quinton Byfield and Alex Laferriere each had a goal and an assist for the Kings (35-26-20). Adrian Kempe scored his 36th of the season and Darcy Kuemper made 21 saves.
DeBrusk scored for a third straight game. His three goals across the stretch came on the power play. The 29-year-old winger has scored 19 of his 23 goals with the man advantage this season.
Anze Kopitar played his final game at Rogers Arena and registered an assist on Kempe’s second-period goal. He has 864 career assists, all with L.A. That ranks third among active players with a single franchise, trailing only the Penguins’ Evgeni Malkin (874) and Sidney Crosby (1,107).
The Kings have secured a playoff berth and remain in the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot with one regular-season game remaining.
The Kings had their five-game winning streak halted. Los Angeles did earn a point for the eighth straight game (6-0-2).
PHOENIX (AP) — Deni Avdija scored 41 points — including a go-ahead 3-point play with 16.1 seconds left — and the Portland Trail Blazers clawed back from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the Phoenix Suns 114-110 in the NBA’s play-in tournament on Tuesday night.
Jordan Goodwin drove for a layup to give the Suns a 110-109 lead with 32 seconds left, but Avdija, who also had 12 assists, responded with a physical take to the rim, making a layup while getting fouled and made the free throw for a 112-110 lead.
The Suns had a chance to go back ahead but Jalen Green’s 3-pointer was off the mark. Goodwin grabbed the offensive rebound but was stripped by Matisse Thybulle to seal the win for the Blazers.
Portland earned the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference playoffs and will face the San Antonio Spurs in the first round. The Suns will host the winner of the Clippers-Warriors game on Friday. Whoever wins will earn the No. 8 seed and face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the playoffs. The loser’s season is over.
The final few minutes were white-knuckle basketball with the lead changing several times.
Jerami Grant — who returned after missing the final seven games of the regular season because of a calf injury — made a corner 3-pointer to give the Trail Blazers a 107-106 lead with 1:54 left. Devin Booker responded with a pair of free throws for a 108-107 lead but Avdija made a finger roll at the rim for a 109-108 lead with 37.3 seconds left.
Green led the Suns with 35 points. Booker had 22.
The Blazers led 83-82 going into the fourth despite shooting just 1 of 11 on 3-pointers in the third quarter. Phoenix pushed to its first lead of the second half when Green made a jumper on the opening possession of the fourth.
It was the start of an 11-0 run that gave the Suns a 93-83 advantage. Royce O’Neale’s steal and 3-pointer put Phoenix ahead 98-87 lead with 7:13 remaining, but that’s when the Blazers started their comeback.
The Suns led 33-31 after one quarter, but the Trail Blazers pushed to a 55-41 advantage by midway through the second. Phoenix bounced back to cut the deficit to 65-62 at the break after Green completed a four-point play — hitting a 3 while being fouled — with one second remaining.
