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Dodgers confident their bats will come alive soon despite series loss to Guardians

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani walks away after striking out during the eighth.
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani walks back to the dugout after striking out in the eighth inning of a 4-1 loss to the Cleveland Guardians at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

Sure, it’s very early. Maybe that’s why all Dodgers’ batters seem to be hitting is the snooze button — snoozing and, on Wednesday, losing 4-1 to the Cleveland Guardians.

Only Andy Pages has looked alert in the Dodgers’ super-imposing lineup, which would have been shut out before a crowd of 45,556 at Dodger Stadium if not for Freddie Freeman’s two-out home run in the ninth inning.

Before Freeman’s 407-foot blast, Pages had the only two hits off Guardians starter Gavin Williams. Cleveland’s 6-foot-6 right-hander had Dodgers hitters scuffling for seven innings, striking out 10 as the Guardians won for the second time in the three-game series.

Read more:Shohei Ohtani battles through the rain to throw a one-hit gem in Dodgers' win

Otherwise, the Dodgers only seriously threatened when reliever Shawn Armstrong was on the mound in the eighth inning and they got runners on second and third, as Pages doubled over Teoscar Hernández, who had singled.

But then Shohei Ohtani struck out on three pitches to end the inning.

A day off and a road trip are now just what Doc ordered: manager Dave Roberts suggested a day to reset and some hostile crowds in Washington and then Toronto, where the Dodgers won last season's epic, seven-game World Series against the Blue Jays, could help get his club’s juices flowing.

Freeman, too, said he’s confident the Dodgers will wake up soon.

“Our offense is inevitable,” said Freeman, smiling as though amused by the puzzle baseball has delivered Dodgers hitters to start a season in which they’re trying to three-peat as World Series champions.

“Hopefully, maybe tomorrow, with an off-day, the coldness will go away and we'll heat up.”

Despite struggling at the plate, the Dodgers are 4-2 to start the season, “so that's a good thing,” Roberts said.

And their pitchers have given up only 17 runs, with an ERA of 2.83 that ranks fourth best in baseball. “We’re pitching well,” Roberts added. “So that’s a really good thing.”

“But yeah,” he acknowledged. “It's obviously a very talented lineup, and right now, it just seems like a lot of guys are in-between.”

They’ve struck out 44 times and walked 17. They’ve scored only 23 runs — 19th among MLB’s 30 teams. And they’ve consistently been plagued by slow starts, digging themselves a too-familiar hole again by falling behind 2-0 for the fifth time in six games.

But this time, they couldn’t conjure up clutch hits to help them climb out of it — including not by Ohtani, who is three for 18 with seven walks and no extra-base hits.

Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivers during the first inning Wednesday against the Guardians.
Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivers during the first inning Wednesday against the Guardians. (Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)

After telling reporters Tuesday night he felt his swing was “a little off,” Ohtani took a rare on-field batting practice Wednesday — just as he had before his epic three-home run game that he also pitched and struck out 10 to close out last season’s NLCS against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Watching home runs fly through the fresh air didn’t prove an effective remedy this time, though.

After Ohtani’s first-inning walk — which extended his overall on-base streak to 37 games — the Dodgers’ sensational leadoff man went 0 for 3 at the plate, including being called out on a challenge that resulted in a double play in the sixth inning.

“I was a little surprised because he doesn't do that very often,” Roberts said. “I think he was looking for some feel, the flight of the baseball. Sometimes when he doesn't feel well, he likes to change up his routine and get on the field and see the flight. So, yeah, I was surprised.

“[And he] took a walk, but had a couple other tough at-bats.”

That was the story of the game — and of the season so far for the Dodgers.

The Guardians scored twice in the third inning on miscues by Yoshinobu Yamamoto and catcher Will Smith. Daniel Schneemann hit a leadoff double to right field, got a good jump, stole third base and then jogged home after Smith’s errant throw wound up in left field. Yamamoto then let Gabriel Arias get hold of a curveball for a 407-foot home run to straightaway center field.

But those were the only runs Cleveland scored against Yamamoto, whose start was historic because it made the Dodgers the first team in MLB history to start three consecutive Japanese-born pitchers. Yamamoto followed Roki Sasaki and Ohtani, who pitched Monday and Tuesday, respectively.

And in six innings, Yamamoto gave up four hits, struck out two, walked a batter and hit Angel Martínez.

Read more:C.B. Bucknor's week gets worse: Umpire leaves game with injury days after ABS and replay reversed his calls

Yamamoto (1-1) didn't have his typical pinpoint command, but he did enough, Roberts said. “He gave us six innings, gave up two runs, so obviously gave us a chance to win the game.”

But yet again, Yamamoto didn't get help from his friends. Ranking in the bottom five in run support last season, the Dodgers couldn’t drum up runs for their ace of aces, either.

Williams, conversely, was pin-prick sharp, confounding the Dodgers (4-2) with the exception of Pages, the Dodgers' No. 8 hitter, who finished 3-3 to improve to nine for 21 on this young season.

The Guardians (4-3) extended the lead to 4-0 in the eighth inning, when José Ramírez hit a two-run home run off Tanner Scott.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Gavin Williams dominates Dodgers’ offense

Apr 1, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) looks on before an at bat during the third inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

A pitcher with such a glaringly high walk rate as Gavin Williams had last season and in his first start is someone who’s playing with fire—while that may eventually prove costly, one only gets to that point if they have the quality stuff to back it up, and that showed as the Guardians beat the Dodgers 4-1. The Guardians’ starting pitcher landed his four-seamer in the zone routinely enough to take full advantage of two outstanding breaking balls; his sweeper and curveball combined to induce 12 whiffs on 20 swings, and for seven innings, he imposed his will against this star-studded attack. Apart from Andy Pages, who seemed to have his number, Dodger hitters went 0 for 18 against Williams.

The Dodgers wouldn’t get an at-bat with a runner in scoring position until the sixth inning, the only frame in which they really challenged Williams. The bottom of the order put two on with no one out ahead of Shohei Ohtani. Only there was no room for even a bit of drama, as the reigning back-to-back NL MVP hit into a rally-killing double play and was subsequently followed by a lazy flyout from Kyle Tucker.

This deflating offensive display overshadowed and ultimately squandered a good performance from Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Robotic-esque is the term that comes to mind when watching Yamamoto, and it makes all the sense in the world that he would start the season in that manner. His fastball command wasn’t particularly great, only earning one called strike on the pitch, and that didn’t even stop him from delivering another ace-caliber performance. It wasn’t his fault; Williams was magnificent.

Yamamoto relied heavily on his cutter to left-handers and kept the Guardians at bay for his second quality start, allowing fewer than one base runner per inning. At the top of the third, Davis Schneeman hit a double and quickly came around to score after a throwing error from Will Smith as he tried to steal third. It wouldn’t have mattered much, considering the following hitter went deep as Gabriel Arias was waiting for a 3-1 ball and crushed it out to center. With a 35-degree launch angle, Arias made the most of this early start to be able to get it over the wall for a ball that maybe wouldn’t travel as much at night. Funny enough, facing a Chase DeLauter-less Guardians lineup, Yamamoto completely shut down the top five in their order. All of Cleveland’s four hits came from the bottom four in their lineup.

Before the Dodgers offense could get a crack at the Guardians bullpen to try and close this 2-0 deficit, Cleveland doubled their lead with their second two-run shot of the evening. Tanner Scott came in the game specifically to face José Ramírez and couldn’t put him away despite an 0-2 count, eventually coughing up a long ball down the left-field line. Repeating the scenario of the sixth inning, once again the Dodgers got a couple of men on ahead of Ohtani, but he was quickly dismissed by the left-hander Eric Sabrowski, striking out on three pitches. A solo shot from Freddie Freeman with two outs in the ninth simply helped the Dodgers avoid the shutout.

Wednesday particulars

Home runs: Gabriel Arias (1), José Ramírez (1) & Freddie Freeman (1)

WP — Gavin Williams (1-1): 6 IP, 1 hit, 3 walks, 6 strikeouts

LP — Yoshinobu Yamamoto (1-1): 6 IP, 4 hits, 2 runs, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts

Up next

The Dodgers hit the road for the first time in 2026, with their first stop in Washington for the Nationals’ home opener. It’ll be a very early start for the West Coasters, as these two teams meet up on Friday at 10:05 AM (PT). While the Dodgers have yet to announce their starter, if they follow this early-season schedule, it’ll be Emmet Sheehan taking the mound.

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Knicks close out four-game road trip with wire-to-wire win over Grizzlies

The Knicks salvaged their four-game road trip with a convincing 130-119 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night to snap a three-game losing streak.

Here are the takeaways...

-- Without top scoring threat Jalen Brunson in the game due to right ankle soreness, New York needed its other players to step up and make some shots and make shots they did. It was an all-out team effort in the first quarter with the Knicks putting up 48 points in the opening 12 minutes of the game, the most points they've scored in any quarter this season. 

-- Nine players saw the court in the first quarter and all nine made at least one field goal, including Ariel Hukporti, who saw extended minutes for the first time since March 13 against the Indiana Pacers. 

 Mikal Bridges led the way by going 3-for-3 from the field and drilling his only three-point attempt. But it wasn't just Bridges as New York shot 81 percent from the field in the first and 100 percent from downtown (5-for-5). They also didn't miss from the free-throw line, going 9-for-9.

-- Overall, the Knicks missed just four shots in the opening frame and were getting anything they wanted offensively. Still, it wasn’t their best defensive effort as they allowed the Grizzlies to score 30 points.

-- The second quarter saw more of the same as Bridges continued his scoring barrage with Karl-Anthony Towns also heavily involved. New York wasn't able to keep up its first-quarter field-goal percentage in the second, but it still shot 71 percent from the field (70 percent from three) going into halftime and still didn't miss from the charity stripe (14-for-14). Along with the starters, it also got some nice contributions from Tyler Kolek and Landry Shamet.

-- Given their ridiculous offensive production, the Knicks outrebounded Memphis 21-6 at the break and had more offensive rebounds (eight) than the Grizzlies had total rebounds. Regardless, Memphis shot a more than respectable 56 percent from the field in the first half and had 62 points at halftime, even outscoring New York 32-31 in the second quarter. Of course, it was outshone by the Knicks' 79 points and 17-point lead at the half.

-- What felt like a clear and obvious win for New York for the entirety of the first half came crashing back down to Earth in the third quarter when the Grizzlies just kept chipping away and made it a game, relying on players like GG Jackson II, who led his team with 20 points, and Javon Small. 

After an Adama Bal three-pointer with 2:48 left in the quarter made it 90-87, what was once a Knicks lead as large as 22 points was shriveled to three points. 

-- The near total collapse by New York came from turnovers, continued bad defense and not having a player to defer to to put an end to a run. That changed in the fourth quarter when OG Anunoby put the team on his back and killed any thought the Grizzlies may have had to come back and win the game.

-- Entering the fourth quarter with just eight points, Anunoby scored 17 in the final frame, in which the Knicks needed every bit of it as Memphis continued to apply pressure. Anunoby finished with a game-high 25 points and led everybody with 13 rebounds.

-- Meanwhile, Towns had a triple-double (20-11-11) and Bridges finished with 24 points in Brunson's absence. New York's bench had a good game, scoring 41 points and dishing out 11 assists (seven via Kolek). 

Game MVP: OG Anunoby

Even though KAT finished with a triple-double, Anunoby made some big shots when it looked like the Knicks might blow their massive lead and had a double-double in his own right.

Highlights

What's next

The Knicks return home for a Friday night showdown with the Chicago Bulls starting at 7:30 p.m.

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Portland fined $100,000, two executives suspended for illegal pre-draft contact with Yang Hansen

The Portland Trail Blazers have been fined $100,000, and two of their assistant general managers — Sergi Oliva and Mike Schmitz — have been suspended for two weeks without pay, all for making illegal pre-draft contact with Yang Hansen in December of 2023, the NBA announced.

The Trail Blazers released this statement (via Sean Highkin of the must-read Rose Garden Report):

"When this was brought to our attention the Portland Trail Blazers self reported to the NBA. The team cooperated fully with the investigation and accept the league's determination."

Hansen was a surprise No. 16 pick of the Trail Blazers last June, and when asked about the unexpected selection at the time, the Trail Blazers responded they had been watching him closely for years. Apparently, that's true. The 20-year-old, 7'1" center out of China has been compared to Nikola Jokic because he has a similar skill set in many ways, including being a gifted passer.

Hansen has shown flashes of that skill set but has a lot of development — both physically and with his game — before he is ready for rotation NBA minutes. Hansen has shown more of that potential with the Rip City Remix — Portland's G League affiliate — where, in 14 games, he has averaged 17.1 points and 9.1 rebounds. He has played in 41 Trail Blazers games but is averaging just 7.2 minutes and 2.3 points per game.

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Celtics ride dominant first quarter to 147-129 win over Heat

MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 01: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics drives against Pelle Larsson #9 of the Miami Heat during the second quarter of the game at Kaseya Center on April 01, 2026 in Miami, Florida. 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 Megan Briggs/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Celtics scored 53 first quarter points in route to a 147-129 point win over the rival Miami Heat. It was a night that included a 43 point game from Jaylen Brown, a triple-double from Jayson Tatum and 15 point and 10 rebound game from Neemias Queta.

The Celtics had everyone available, outside of Nikola Vucevic for this one. Vucevic did go through a workout today in Miami at shoot around.

The Celtics started Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser, Jayson Tatum and Neemias Queta. Norman Powell was out for the Heat who started Davion Mitchell, Tyler Herro, Andrew Wiggins, Pelle Larson and Bam Adebayo.

It was a hot start for Jaylen Brown who scored the Celtics first 11 points.

There wasn’t a ton of defense in the first 6 minutes of the game as the teams were tied at 21 at the first timeout. The Celtics were struggling to guard Bam Adebayo, who had 11 points, 2 rebounds (both offensive boards) and 1 assist early in the game.

It was a monster Sam Hauser quarter as he had 17 points shooting 6/6 from the field and 5/5 from three.

The Celtics led Miami 53-33 at the end of the first quarter. It was a dominant first quarter for Boston, they shot 71% from the field and 73% from three, making 11 threes. They ended the quarter on a 32-9 run as well.

Jaylen Brown had 20 points (the most by a Celtics in the first quarter this season) along with the previously mentioned 17 from Hauser.

53 points is the most first quarter points for the Celtics in franchise history.

Jordan Walsh was the 9th Celtic off of the bench, Hugo Gonzalez had been filling that role for a while now.

After a slow start, the Celtics defense really clicked in. After giving up 30 points in the first 7:16 of the game, they hunkered down on that side, giving up 21 points over the next 12 minutes of game action.

The Celtics cooled off a bit in the second quarter and did not score 100 points. They did score 80, however, and led Miami 80-57 at halftime. Brown led the team with 24 points while Hauser had 17 and Jayson Tatum had 13 points and 12 rebounds.

The third quarter was another hot start for Brown as he scored 8 straight points as the Celtics opened up a 26 point lead.

The rest of the third quarter didn’t go well for the Celtics. They didn’t get nearly enough stops in the quarter and the Heat were able to cut the lead to 10 with 45 points in the period. Just unacceptable stuff from the defense.

The Celtics led the Heat 112-102 at the end of three quarters. Jaylen Brown was dominating the game with 36 points.

Early in the fourth quarter, Jayson Tatum recored a triple-double and then a step back three put the Celtics back up 16. Tatum finished the game with 25 points, 18 rebounds and 11 assists.

The Heat made a push but the closest they got was 9. The Celtic won the game 147-129. Jaylen Brown finished with 43 points, Sam Hauser had 23 points and Neemias Queta had 15 points and 10 rebounds.

The Celtics 58% from the field and 48% from three while the Heat shot 46% from the field and 51% from three. Boston’s next game is Friday night in Milwaukee against the Bucks at 8 EST.

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Thursday's Time Schedule

All Times EDT

Thursday, April 2

MLB

Minnesota at Kansas City, 2:10 p.m.

Atlanta at Arizona, 9:40 p.m.

N.Y. Mets at San Francisco, 9:45 p.m.

NBA

Minnesota at Detroit, 7 p.m.

Phoenix at Charlotte, 7 p.m.

L.A. Lakers at Oklahoma City, 9:30 p.m.

Cleveland at Golden State, 10 p.m.

New Orleans at Portland, 10 p.m.

San Antonio at L.A. Clippers, 10:30 p.m.

NHL

Boston at Florida, 7 p.m.

Buffalo at Ottawa, 7 p.m.

Columbus at Carolina, 7 p.m.

Detroit at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.

Montreal at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m.

Pittsburgh at Tampa Bay, 7 p.m.

Washington at New Jersey, 7:30 p.m.

Vancouver at Minnesota, 8 p.m.

Winnipeg at Dallas, 8 p.m.

Chicago at Edmonton, 9 p.m.

Calgary at Vegas, 10 p.m.

Toronto at San Jose, 10 p.m.

Utah at Seattle, 10 p.m.

Nashville at Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m.

_____

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Sheppard scores 27 points on a career-high 9 3s in the Rockets' win over the the Bucks

HOUSTON (AP) — Reed Sheppard scored 27 points on a career-high nine 3-pointers, Alperen Sengun added 25 points and the Houston Rockets beat the short-handed Milwaukee Bucks 119-113 on Wednesday night for their fourth straight victory.

Kevin Durant finished with 19 points and nine assists, Amen Thompson had 18 points, nine rebounds and six assists and Jabari Smith Jr. scored 12 points for the Rockets. They shot 47% from the field, going 18 of 42 on 3-pointers.

Houston had 30 assists on 41 field goals and forced the Bucks into 15 turnovers that they converted into 18 points.

Ousmane Dieng had a career-high 36 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists for Milwaukee. Cormac Ryan had a season-high 25 points, Pete Nance added a career-high 23. AJ Green had 15 points and eight rebounds.

The Bucks shot 47% and were 17 of 40 on 3-pointers. They made 10 3-pointers in the third as they cut Houston’s 20-point lead to seven by the end of the quarter.

Gary Trent Jr. exited with a hip contusion with 4 1/2 minutes left in the first after hitting the ground hard while diving for a loose ball at midcourt. He walked to the locker room holding his right side. Trent’s exit left the Bucks with seven available players after Ryan Rollins was ruled out with a right hip strain.

Down 112-100 with 3 1/2 minutes left in the fourth, the Bucks reeled off eight straight to close within four on two free throws by Dieng. Sengun made two free throws to push the lead to six with 1:06 remaining.

After the teams traded baskets, Jericho Sims made 1 of 2 free throws, but after the Bucks stole the ball, Ryan missed a 3-pointer. Houston got the rebound, and Sengun made 1 of 2 free throws with 16 seconds left to push the lead back to six.

Up next

Bucks: Host Boston on Friday night.

Rockets: Host Utah on Friday night.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

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Sarah Fillier gets her 1st PWHL hat trick in overtime to help the Sirens beat the Frost 4-3 in OT

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Sarah Fillier scored two goals 14 seconds apart in the third period and she completed her first PWHL hat trick in overtime as the New York Sirens ended a four-game skid with a 4-3 victory over the Minnesota Frost on Wednesday night.

New York (8-1-3-12) won at the Prudential Center for the first time since March 8 when Fillier had two goals and three points.

Minnesota (11-3-4-6) has lost three straight games for the first time this season.

The Sirens fell behind 1-0 just 16 seconds into the game as Taylor Heise scored on the first shot of the game.

Minnesota forward Grace Zumwinkle scored the only goal of the second period and she added another 44 seconds into the third for a 3-1 lead. Five of her 11 goals this season have come against New York.

Fillier started the comeback by jumping out of the penalty box, intercepting the puck and scoring on a breakaway to get within 3-2 with 7:40 to go. Then she sent in a rebound to tie it seconds later.

In overtime, Fillier received a centering pass from Maja Nylén Persson and flicked it over the glove of Maddie Rooney for her seventh goal in the last six games.

Minnesota had won the three previous meetings with New York this season. Zumwinkle scored twice when the teams met in the Denver Takeover Tour game in March. She has seven points in four games against the Sirens this season.

Up next

Minnesota returns home to play the Vancouver Goldeneyes on Saturday.

New York will host the first PWHL game at Madison Square Garden on Saturday against the Seattle Torrent. The Sirens announced the game is sold out, with an arena capacity of more than 18,000.

___

AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey

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Rapid Recap: Rockets 119, Bucks 113

HOUSTON, TX - APRIL 1: Ousmane Dieng #21 of the Milwaukee Bucks dribbles the ball during the game against the Houston Rockets on April 1, 2026 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

In what might just be the Milwaukee Bucks’ best game of the season, they go down to the Houston Rockets 119-113 with just seven players for most of the night (and all of the senior players sitting). Ousmane Dieng announced himself on the NBA stage, leading the Bucks with 36 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds. The Rockets were led by Reed Sheppard, who had 27 points.

NBA.com Box Score

Game Recap

The Bucks suited up EIGHT for this one. Jericho Sims understood the assignment and picked up two fouls in under a minute. Kevin Durant was the main figure early as the Rockets staked out a 10-5 lead. Houston continued to grow their lead, with Reed Sheppard knocking down a couple treys. Perhaps sensing his relative stature, Ousmane Dieng upped his usage, to ill effect. But despite sporting a bench of Andre Jackson Jr., Cormac Ryan, and Alex Antetokounmpo—and losing Gary Trent Jr. to injury to boot—the Bucks parlayed some truly grotesque push shots into a run of inspired YMCA pickup basketball. They ended the frame on an eight-point run to stem the bleeding at 27-20 Rockets.

Houston continued to have a problem in the second, and that problem was offense. That was at least partly to the Bucks’ credit, including some 2-3 zone that the Rockets couldn’t capitalize on from deep. Against all odds, Ime Udoka called a timeout as Milwaukee whittled Houston’s lead to 3. Sadly, Houston (specifically Sheppard) started to make shots again, staking out a healthier lead. Ous continued to call his own number, though this time to better effect (including a sick slam). Josh Okogie injected some well-needed verve into the Rockets as they reclaimed a double-digit advantage. But a couple buckets from Cormac Ryan kept the Bucks in orbit. After an early 15-point deficit, Milwaukee ended the half down a more respectable 54-44.

The Rockets quickly extended their lead to around 15 out of the locker room, with their starters sharing the load equally, leading 72-55 at the 6:42 mark; their size was obviously their biggest advantage against the miniature Bucks lineup. But from there, Milwaukee really took it to the Rockets with an inspired rest of the quarter, headlined by Cormac Ryan and AJ Green. Ryan and Green nailed nine of their 11 tries from deep. Some were just off great ball movement, but others were tough jumpers coming off DHO actions. The Rockets’ clogged-toilet offence even reared its ugly head against the Bucks’ third-strong unit, leaving them trailing by only seven, 85-78, after three.

The Bucks forced several tough shots to open the fourth, but the Rockets just made them (Alperen Sengun, in particular). Still, Milwaukee wasn’t going anywhere, with Ousmane Dieng notching a new career-high of 23 points following consecutive buckets—Houston up 93-87 at the 8:33 mark. The Rockets were able to run out on the fast break a few times after that, getting their lead back up to double digits. Cormac Ryan wasn’t going out without a fight, though, getting fouled by KD on a three and then driving the lane for a nice filayyyy; Rockets up 102-94 at the halfway mark. Houston would increase their lead to 12, but it was halved in short order after threes from Nance and Green with just 2:40 to go! Fast forward a few minutes, Dieng nailed a step-back jumper for his 36th point, and the Bucks were just down four with 54 seconds left. Unfortunately, the Rockets made just enough plays to win, but what an inspired performance from the Bucks. Wow.

Stat That Stood Out

Somehow, the Bucks (with their tiny lineup) got more O-boards (15) than the Rockets (12).

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Cubs BCB After Dark: Who gets the next extension?

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MARCH 30: Edward Cabrera #30 of the Chicago Cubs delivers a pitch against the Los Angeles Angels during the second inning at Wrigley Field on March 30, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty Images

It’s Wednesday night here at BCB After Dark: the coolest club for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in and sit with us. We’re all in a good mood this evening. Glad you could join us. There’s no cover charge. The dress code is casual. 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.

The Cubs beat the Angels today 6-2. The Cubs got a terrific pitching performance from Matthew Boyd. Nico Hoerner had three hits, including two doubles. Matt Shaw had two hits. I think we all hoped that the Cubs would be better than 3-3 at this point, but early season results are alway janky.

Speaking of Matt Shaw, yesterday evening I asked you when (or if) the team should trade Matt Shaw now that Nico Hoerner has signed an extension. The vote was pretty contentious, with 48 percent saying that Shaw should be gone by the Trade Deadline and 40 percent voting to keep him at least into next season. The rest thought that Shaw should be dealt this upcoming winter, although a potential lockout might complicate that. I didn’t mention that factor in my article.

Here’s the part where we listen to music and talk movies. You can skip ahead if you want.

Tonight we’re featuring vocalist José James on International Jazz Day in 2022. Tonight he’s signing the Bill Withers tune “Lovely Day.” Joining James is Helio Alves on piano, Brian Blade on drums, Grégoire Maret on harmonica (nice solo!), Pedrito Martinez on percussion and Mark Whitfield on bass.

I don’t have a movie to write about tonight, so I’ll just give you a few short capsules. I’ve been meaning to write about Eve’s Bayou (1997) for a while now, but with the start of the minor league season and other personal stuff I haven’t had the time. But to tide you over on that, I’ll just say that it was excellent. I hope to give it a full essay at a later date.

I also got a month of Netflix so I could see the Opening Day game (big mistake) so I’ve seen a few movies on that service that I hadn’t seen. If you didn’t tell me that A House of Dynamite (2025) was directed by Kathryn Bigelow, I would have been able to guess it immediately anyway. Her documentary-style approach is hit-and-miss with me, but here it’s mostly a hit. The script by Noah Oppenheim is also tense and, from what I’ve read from national security experts, about 95 percent accurate. That makes it all the more terrifying. I’d recommend it.

Blue Moon (2025) is mostly a acting showcase for director Richard Linklater’s longtime collaborator Ethan Hawke. Hawke is easily up for the challenge of playing Lorenz Hart on what was probably the worst night of his life, the day Oklahoma! debuted on Broadway. It’s certainly the kind of small and intimate film that they don’t make much anymore and I wish they would. Hawke deserved his Academy Award nomination for the film.

Finally, Hi, Nellie! (1934) is a Mervyn LeRoy pre-Code newspaper drama starring Paul Muni and Glenda Farrell. It’s fairly tame for pre-Code and the gimmick is that Muni’s character gets demoted to advice columnist on his newspaper for refusing to run with a corrupt machine’s attempt to slander an innocent man. So Muni has to write advice as Nellie and try to clear a man’s name to get his job back. Honestly, this one failed to keep my interest. The whole “has to be an advice columnist” thing struck me like someone being sentenced to be Jerry Seinfeld’s butler.

Feel free to share your thoughts on these films or any other ones you’ve seen recently.

Welcome back to anyone who skips the music and movies.

It’s extension season in MLB as teams rush to lock up players before we get too far into the year. As you know, the Cubs signed both Pete Crow-Armstrong and Nico Hoerner to long-term deals that will keep them in Cubbie blue until well into the 2030s. Since those years are imaginary, they might as well be lifetime deals.

Since Jed Hoyer has inked these two young stars, the natural question is “Who’s next?” Working off of this article by Tony Andracki, I’m giving you a chance to vote for which Cubs players that you would like to see given long-term deals.

The first two choices are the corner outfielders, Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki, both of whom can be free agents after this year. Both of them are very good players. I think if either one of them would sign a one-year deal, the Cubs should do it right now. The problem with extending either or both of them is that the Cubs are already pretty much locked in at third, second and short to the point where the Cubs have to consider trading second-year player Matt Shaw for lack of playing time. Were the Cubs to sign either Happ or Suzuki to an extension, that even more limits playing time for position players coming up through the Cubs system. It also locks the Cubs into an aging starting lineup. The Cubs have Kevin Alcántara, Kane Kepley, Ethan Conrad and Josiah Hartshorn at different levels of the system. I don’t think you can count on any of them being as good as Happ or Suzuki, but it’s certainly possible that one or more of them will be.

Michael Busch is a tough one because, as Andracki notes, he’s a Scott Boras client and Boras usually, but not always, advises players to hit the free agent market. Busch is also an unusual case in that he didn’t exhaust his rookie eligibility until he was 26 and can’t become a free agent until after the 2029 season. So while you can make a case that Busch is the best hitter on the Cubs, you can also say that the Cubs have him locked up over his best years and that there’s no current rush to extend him.

The other three candidates are pitchers with a few years of control left. One is Justin Steele. You all know that Steele missed almost all of last season with elbow surgery and probably still won’t rejoin the team until around Memorial Day. Steele’s injury might make him more eager to sign an extension. On the other hand, the Cubs might want to shy away from locking him up until they know that he has successfully bounced back from surgery. Steele can become a free agent after the 2027 season, so the Cubs will have to make a decision on him soon, but not now.

Cade Horton was a big bright spot in the Cubs rotation in his rookie season last year. He finished second in Rookie of the Year balloting and he certainly looked great in his first start this year. But Horton can’t become a free agent until after the 2031 season and he’s got an iffy injury history dating back to his college days at Oklahoma. Do the Cubs want to make a big commitment to Horton without knowing whether his arm can withstand the strain of 160 to 180 innings a year?

Finally there’s new Cub Edward Cabrera, who becomes a free agent after the 2028 season. Cabrera was simply outstanding in his Cubs debut and he’s been a popular pick to emerge into stardom this season. In such a case, it might be wise to lock up Cabrera now before his price goes way up.

On the other hand, Cabrera has a shaky injury history as well and has only been able to throw more than 100 innings once in his career. His career-high is only 137 innings, which came last year. Signing Cabrera to a long term extension is taking a big gamble that his arm holds up.

So now it’s time to vote. If we’ve done this correctly, you should be able to vote for more than one candidate.

Thank you for stopping by tonight. A special thanks goes out to everyone who voted and commented this past week. We hope you enjoyed yourself and will be back soon. Get home safely. Stay dry. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again next week for more BCB After Dark.

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Sixers Bell Ringer: Paul George fuels Sixers win in DC

WASHINGTON, DC -  APRIL 1: Paul George #8 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives to the basket as Will Riley #27 of the Washington Wizards plays defense during the game on April 1, 2026 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. 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 Kenny Giarla/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

2025-26 Sixers Bell Ringer season standings:

Tyrese Maxey – 22.5
VJ Edgecombe – 12
Joel Embiid – 10.5
Paul George – 7
Justin Edwards – 4
Kelly Oubre Jr. – 4
Quentin Grimes – 3
Jared McCain :’( – 3
Dominick Barlow – 2
Andre Drummond – 2
MarJon Beauchamp – 2
Adem Bona – 1
Cam Payne – 1
Jabari Walker – 1
Trendon Watford – 1
15th roster spot – 1

The 76ers are back in the win column as they push to avoid the play-in following a 153-131 victory over the Washington Wizards.

The Sixers came out hot offensively, but left a ton to be desired in terms of defensive effort for most of the first half. Against a tanking Wizards team, giving up 71 points in the first half is inexcusable, even with Joel Embiid missing the game due to illness.

They would eventually pull themselves out of the mud in the third quarter, but allowed the Wizards to creep back into it in the fourth, requiring Nick Nurse to put the starters back in.

We saw strong offensive showings from Tyrese Maxey (28 points, nine assists) and VJ Edgecombe (23 points, 10 assists), as well as some two-way flashes for Adem Bona, but our Bell Ringer tonight was pivotal in ensuring a Sixers win on both ends of the floor.

Paul George: 39 points, 15-of-22 FG, 6-of-12 3PT, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, 3 steals, 0 turnovers

Paul George came out of the gates scorching, putting up 14 points through the first 10 minutes of action. He opened scoring with a midrange jumper and immediately found his touch from that distance, nailing another one off a Bona offensive rebound. He would also nab a couple steals to give the Sixers an early double-digit lead. His hot start would travel behind the arc as well with a beautiful step-back three over Tristan Vukcevic.

In the midst of the Wizards’ second-quarter run, George helped bring the Sixers back into it late in the frame with a flurry of shots from midrange and deep. He concluded the period with another step-back three to give the Sixers the lead and to bring him to 24 points at halftime.

In the third, George opened up scoring with a corner three, assisted a Bona cutting dunk, and nailed another three to bring his total up to 30. The Sixers gained some ground through the offense of Maxey, but this sequence from George helped put the nail in the Wizards’ coffin, despite it still being the third quarter.

His consistent energy was contagious for his teammates, and his leadership continues to be a key force for Edgecombe’s development.

George finished with a season-high 39 points, his highest total since April 7, 2024, when he put up 39 points against the Cavaliers as a member of the Clippers. Even with the stint in the fourth, the Sixers were unable to get him 40.

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Pacers beat the Bulls 145-126 to move out of the NBA basement

CHICAGO (AP) — Pascal Siakam scored 25 points and the Indiana Pacers beat the Chicago Bulls 145-126 on Wednesday night to move out of the NBA basement.

Coming off a home victory over Miami on Sunday, the injury-ravaged Pacers had their highest-scoring game of the season. They improved to 18-58 to move a game ahead of last-place Washington.

Ethan Thompson added 24 points, and Kobe Brown and Jay Huff each had 17.

Guerschon Yabusele led Chicago with 20 points, and Collin Sexton had 18. The Bulls have lost five straight — the first four on the road — to fall to 29-47.

Up next

Pacers: At Charlotte on Friday night.

Bulls: At New York on Friday night.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

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Grizzlies Brandon Clarke arrested in Arkansas for speeding, possession of a controlled substance

Memphis forward Brandon Clarke was arrested in Arkansas on Wednesday on charges that included possession of a controlled substance and fleeing in excess of the speed limit.

"I'm aware of the report, but don't have any comments," Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo said prior to his team's game in New York, via the Associated Press.

The Cross County Sheriff’s Department booked Clarke on charges of improper passing, possession of a controlled substance, trafficking a controlled substance, and fleeing in a vehicle exceeding the speed limit. In Arkansas, the difference between possession and trafficking of a controlled substance is about the amount of the drug the suspect is found with. The Memphis Commercial Appeal reached out to the Cross County Sheriff's Department but they refused to comment on the arrest.

Clarke played in just two games this season, missing the start of the season following right knee surgery, then straining his right calf just two games into his return. Last week, the Grizzlies ruled him out for the season.

Injuries have slowed Clarke's career in recent years. He was fourth in Rookie of the Year voting in 2020 and was a quality big man off the bench for the Grizzlies for a few years earlier this decade (earning a little Sixth Man of the Year recognition in 2022). However, in 2024 he played in just six games, he bounced back with 64 last season until he injured his knee, then came the two games this season.

Clarke, in his seventh NBA season out of Gonzaga, is under contract for $12.5 million this season and next.

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Victoire beat the Goldeneyes 3-0 to clinch a PWHL playoff berth

LAVAL, Quebec (AP) — Ann-Renée Desbiens made 18 saves, Hayley Scamurra scored twice and the Montreal Victoire beat the Vancouver Goldeneyes 3-0 on Wednesday night to wrap up a playoff berth in the Professional Women’s Hockey League.

Desbiens had her sixth shutout of the season to help Montreal (13-4-2-5) win its third consecutive game.

Scamurra opened the scoring on a one-timer at 8:28 of the third period. She and and Maggie Flaherty added empty-netters.

Emerance Maschmeyer stopped 25 shots for Vancouver (7-1-4-12).

Up next

Victoire: At Ottawa on Friday.

Goldeneyes: At Minnesota on Saturday.

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AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey

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April is the ultimate month of reckoning for the Phoenix Suns

Jan 5, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) hugs Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) after defeating the Phoenix Suns at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

It was an up-and-down month of March for the Phoenix Suns. The team had a four-game win streak and a five-game losing streak, their longest of the season. With everything said and done, the team finished 8-8 during the month and ended up in the same spot it started: seventh place in the Western Conference.

It’s looking likely Phoenix will end the regular season in that spot, although there is still a possibility that the Clippers or Trail Blazers could catch them. If everything stays as is, however, the Suns would host a Play-In game for the first time in franchise history. All that is left between them and that possibility is the remainder of their regular-season schedule.

Here’s how the calendar shapes up for April:

Finishing up the Road Trip

  • Thursday, April 2nd @ Charlotte Hornets
  • Sunday, February 5th @ Chicago Bulls

The Suns played both teams in the month of March, splitting results as they went 1-1 against the Charlotte/Chicago combo.

Phoenix handled Charlotte 111-99 but suffered one of its worst losses of the season against the Bulls, losing 105-103. The Suns couldn’t get into a rhythm and shot worse than 40% from the field. Charlotte projects to be a tough matchup because of their youth and ability to shoot. Chicago is officially eliminated, so the matchup should be a bit easier than Charlotte’s, but that wasn’t the case for the Suns in March.

Last Home Stand

  • Tuesday, April 7th vs Houston Rockets(NBC/Peacock)
  • Wednesday, April 8th vs Dallas Mavericks

Phoenix’s games against the two Texas teams are their last two home games of the regular season, but their game against the Rockets will be the first time Kevin Durant returns to the Mortgage Matchup Center since he was traded.

Durant’s relationship with the Suns? Complicated, to say the least. One of the greatest players to don a Phoenix jersey, his tenure with the team didn’t end as anyone wanted it to, with the squad winning just one playoff series during his tenure, despite the future Hall of Famer continuing to put up elite numbers and playing alongside Devin Booker.

HOUSTON, TEXAS – JANUARY 05: Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets drives against Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns during the second half at Toyota Center on January 05, 2026 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images) | Getty Images

It will be interesting to see the type of reception he gets in the nationally televised showdown.

Two Playoff Foes

  • Friday, April 10th @ Los Angeles Lakers
  • Sunday, April 12th @ Oklahoma City Thunder

Funnily enough, the team’s last two games are against the only squads that the Suns face five times this season, thanks to the results of the In-Season Tournament. Both the Suns and their opponents in this stretch may have their seeds clinched, so the potential for many players to rest in these games is on the table. Both the Thunder and Lakers are possible first-round matchups, though the Thunder are the more likely.

The Playoff/Play-In Schedule Outlook

While the dates are not set, if the Suns are in the Western Conference 7/8 game as either seed and win, they’ll be the seventh seed. If they lose, they’ll host the winner of the West’s 9/10 game. If they win that game, they’ll be the eighth seed; if they lose it, their season ends.

The NBA Playoffs begin April 18th.