Apr 1, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) looks on after a foul against the Orlando Magic in the fourth quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Your Atlanta Hawks (44-33) take on the pesky but undermanned Brooklyn Nets (18-58).
Jock Landale (ankle sprain) has been ruled out.
Starting lineup:
G CJ McCollum
G Nickeil Alexander-Walker
F Dyson Daniels
F Jalen Johnson
C Onyeka Okongwu
Please join in the comments below as you follow along.
Where, When, and How to Watch and Listen
Location: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York, NY
Start Time: 7:30 PM EDT
TV: FanDuel Sports Network Southeast (FDSNSE)
Radio: Sports Radio 92.9 the Game (WZGC-FM)
Streaming: FanDuel Sports Network app, Fubo (out of market), NBA League Pass (out of market), Youtube TV (NBA League Pass out of market)
But outside of the Lakers, Doncic’s injury could also have ripple effects throughout the NBA once it’s time to vote for end-of-season awards because of the league’s requirement for certain league honors.
Doncic, who had an outside shot at competing for league MVP and was likely to be named to the All-NBA first team for the sixth time in his career, will be one game shy of the 65 games played required to be eligible for end-of-season awards after the Lakers announced on Friday that Doncic will miss the remainder of the regular season because of a Grade 2 strained hamstring.
Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 2, 2026 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Photo by Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images
There’s an “Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge” clause in the league’s collective bargaining agreement that would allow for Doncic to file a grievance over missing two games in December due to the birth of his daughter. An arbitrator’s ruling would come after the regular season ends.
Doncic’s agent, Bill Duffy of WME, confirmed to ESPN that they’ll apply for the challenge to ensure Doncic remains eligible for end-of-season awards.
But Doncic shouldn’t be in this position in the first place.
Nor should Pistons star guard Cade Cunningham or Timberwolves star guard Anthony Edwards, both of whom dealt with circumstances that will likely make them ineligible for league awards.
Or the countless other stars who’ve already been disqualified from awards voting, or who have to play either every game or all but one game down the stretch of the season to remain eligible, such as Nuggets star Nikola Jokic and Spurs star Victor Wembanyama.
Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves handles the ball during the game against the Dallas Mavericks on March 30, 2026 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)NBAE via Getty Images Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham looks on during the first half against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn ImagesIMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic in the third quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn ImagesIsaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs looks on during the game against the Golden State Warriors on April 1, 2026 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)NBAE via Getty Images
This isn’t to say having a games threshold for league awards isn’t a good thing.
But it’s an acknowledgment that adjustments are necessary to give the league the best shot possible at having end-of-season award ballots represent the most impactful players for that respective season.
The suggested adjustments that should be made in order for that to happen: Lower the games-played threshold to 58.
And include a minutes played exception clause for players who fall short of 58 games.
This isn’t a foreign concept.
Fifty-eight, or 70% of an 82-game season, are the number of games required to qualify for several statistical league leaders, such as scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, blocked shots and minutes.
If Doncic didn’t play another game this season, he’d likely be recognized as the scoring leader for the second time in his career, with a league-high scoring average of 33.5 points, but wouldn’t be eligible for All-NBA.
What sense does that make?
Luka Doncic left the Lakers loss to the Thunder with an injury. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Before the league introduced the 65-games-played threshold for major end-of-season awards starting with the 2023-24 season — in hopes of having more star players available — the league already had a decade-long precedent for what was required for other league honors.
It’s time for the league to be more consistent on this front.
Clauses already exist allowing players to be eligible for end-of-season awards if they don’t reach the current 65-game threshold, just as exceptions exist if a player doesn’t play in 58 games to qualify as a statistical leader.
The proposed exception for players falling short of the suggested 58 games played for end-of-season awards is a 1,624-minutes-played requirement across the season, equivalent to 28 minutes per game.
Yes, star players such as Steph Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo would still remain ineligible for end-of-season awards because they’d fall short of both the suggested games and minutes played thresholds.
But players such as Doncic, Edwards and Cunningham would still be able to receive consideration for awards meant to honor star players who led their respective teams for most of the season.
Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after a play during the second half against the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Paycom Center on April 2, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images) Getty Images
As Lakers coach JJ Redick put it, having guidance for voters is helpful.
And there may not be a perfect answer for the threshold required to be eligible for end-of-season awards.
There’s always going to be a player, or players, who fall short of the requirements.
But what’s in place now isn’t working as intended. A lower threshold would help all stakeholders.
With none out and a 1-1 count for left-hander Ryan Yarbrough, Xavier Edwards laced an 85 mph cutter over Bellinger's shoulder and to the warning track.
Leaping near the wall, Bellinger initially missed off the heel of his glove before swiping down and snagging the ball for the catch.
"Well, I definitely thought I had it from the jump," Bellinger said. "I should've caught it the first time. I don't even know. I think I squeezed the glove too early, and it just kind of dropped in front of me and I just got lucky. I definitely got lucky. I threw my glove out there."
Upon making the play, Bellinger spun and raised his arms with a smile while Yarbrough applauded from the mound.
"I genuinely thought I caught it the first time," Bellinger said. "I feel like I had a good beat on it the whole way, and I don't know -- I think I caught it off my wrist. I don't really know exactly what happened there. So, I'm just glad I came down with it then and there."
Bellinger's afternoon at Yankee Stadium included a 1-for-4 day offensively, hitting a ground-rule double to lead off the fifth inning before working an eighth-inning walk and subsequently scoring on Ben Rice's two-out double, polishing off the 8-2 final for New York (6-1) against Miami (5-2).
"We've been doing a great job," Bellinger said. "We're playing great baseball. We love each other in here. I think we have a pretty good idea, plan of who we are and what we want to do, and it's a tough competitor on the mound -- he's got really good stuff. So, ultimately, we did a really good job of controlling the zone, doing some damage there -- Ben Rice came through with a few big hits -- and, overall, just a really good game."
ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 27: Jonah Heim #20 of the Atlanta Braves walks to the bullpen before the game against the Kansas City Royals at Truist Park on March 27, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After last night’s offensive explosion which saw the Braves score nearly as many runs (17) as they had in their first six games combined (24), a left-handed starter on the mound for Arizona is forcing Atlanta to switch things up in the lineup.
With Eduardo Rodriguez (0-0, 0.00 ERA) taking the mound for the Diamondbacks, Ozzie Albies is up in the three-hole spot he’s consistently batted in against lefty starters this season. In a small sample size this season, the average splits have not been drastic for the switch-hitter (.300 vs. lefties, .294 vs. righties). But the slugging hits have been drastic, as he’s slugging .600 vs. lefties and .294 vs. righties with five hits, all of them singles.
Additionally, Eli White is back in the lineup hitting sixth and Jonah Heim will make his third appearance of the season behind the plate hitting ninth. It could have been an opportunity to give Baldwin an off night with Kyle Farmer 4-for-7 with a homer in his career vs. Rodriguez, but that would have denied Baldwin the opportunity to break the franchise record he tied last night when he scored a run for the seventh straight game to start a season.
Matt Olson is the only other Brave with a career homer against Rodriguez. Ronald Acuña Jr. is 2-for-6 with a double and three strikeouts, while Albies and Mauricio Dubon, who is back in the lineup batting seventh, are each 2-for-4.
The top four of Arizona’s lineup will remain the same for Thursday’s game, although Corbin Carroll will now be in right after DHing Game 1 while Gabriel Moreno will DH Friday after catching the series opener. James McCann, who pitched the ninth of Thursday’s blowout loss, will catch and bat seventh on Friday.
The drastic (and unfortunate) change for Arizona is promising young outfielder Jordan Lawlar being pulled from the lineup after it was revealed that he sustained a fractured wrist on a hit-by-pitch after hitting his first career homer earlier in the game. He’s been replaced by Tim Tawa (.204 career hitter in 206 career at-bats), who will hit ninth in the D-Backs order.
No Arizona hitter has faced Braves starter Grant Holmes more than five times. Moreno (2-for-5) and Alek Thomas (2-for-4) are the only player with multiple hits against him.
Feb 23, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) dribbles against Utah Jazz forward Brice Sensabaugh (28) in the second quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
Houston Rockets vs Utah Jazz
April 3, 2026
Location: Toyota Center – Houston, TX
TV: Space City Home Network,
Radio:KBME Sports Talk 790 / KLTN 102.9 (en español)
Online: Rockets App, SCHN+
Time: 7:00pm CST
Probable Starting Lineups
Rockets: Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun
Ninety-nine seconds to turn a championship contender into a question mark. Ninety-nine seconds to flip the Lakers from dangerous to delicate.
Ninety-nine seconds to remind everyone how thin the line is between March momentum and April uncertainty.
Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts from the floor after a play during the second half against the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Paycom Center on April 2, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images) Getty Images
Because for five weeks, this thing felt real.
A 16-2 stretch. Third place in the Western Conference. Chemistry off the charts. The ball was moving. The defense was rotating, and the belief— that fragile, invisible fuel — filled every corner of the Lakers’ locker room.
But before those 99 seconds could run out, one moment changed everything.
Luka Doncic had already done his damage for the month — 600 points, a scoring binge that earned him Western Conference Player of the Month just hours before tipoff. He was the engine, the reason this entire Lakers experiment suddenly made sense.
Then late in the first quarter, he drove, stopped on a dime, let two defenders fly past him — and laid it in. But his hand immediately grabbed at his left hamstring.
He stayed in. He limped through the rest of the first half.
At halftime, head coach JJ Redick said the team’s training staff checked the hamstring. They worked on it. He was cleared to return.
“It was discussed at halftime. I wanted to give those guys about six minutes,” Redick said. “If we didn’t cut into the lead, I was going to pull them.”
Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers plays defense during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 2, 2026 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images
Six minutes.
The Lakers were down 32 to the reigning MVP and champions.
The game was already gone — LeBron James said as much after the first seven minutes of the opening quarter that saw the Thunder race out to a 25-9 lead like an F1 car redlining through open asphalt.
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The Lakers on the other hand? They were a broken down Fiat in need of repairs.
Bad energy. Worse execution. Eight turnovers. Poor transition defense that led to fast break points and second chances for OKC.
“That’s the game right there,” said James after the loss of those first seven minutes.
Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles the ball during the game against Oklahoma City Thunder on April 2, 2026 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Photo by Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images
Why did Redick allow Doncic to push through the nagging injury when his team was down by as many as 35 points in the first half? Why even risk another six minutes to start the second?
With 7:39 remaining in the third quarter, 99 seconds before Redick said he was going to “pull him,” Doncic drove towards the basket on the left wing, stopped at the elbow, went up for a shot, but instead dropped the ball, grabbed his hamstring again and collapsed on the floor.
That 99 second difference between the injury taking place and when Redick was going to pull him now is the pivot point in a season that 24 hours earlier was full of promise.
That’s the moment this season may be remembered by.
That 16-2 stretch in their last 18 games, climbing from play-in purgatory to third place now feels like a mirage.
Their once-assumed home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs? Suddenly unstable.
Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers looks for an opening against Luguentz Dort the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first half at the Paycom Center on April 2, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images) Getty Images
The Lakers entered the night in sole possession of third, holding tiebreakers, controlling their destiny. Stay the course, and you’re hosting a first-round series against a manageable opponent.
But without Doncic? That floor collapses.
Fourth. Fifth. Sixth. All in play now. And with it, a potential first-round date with the Denver Nuggets — the worst possible matchup — and no home court to soften the blow.
And the ripples don’t stop there.
The MVP race? It’s over now.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was already the frontrunner, but Doncic had surged — from 100-1 odds to 20-1 in a week, closing ground with five games left, including another head-to-head against OKC. A strong finish, and the conversation changes entirely.
But now? It’s finished.
Even worse for Doncic? The math is cruel now based on an atrocious NBA rule.
Doncic will undergo an MRI on Friday that will determine the severity of the hamstring injury, and with it just how dire the Lakers future looks.
A Grade 1 strain is 1-3 weeks. A Grade 2 strain is 3-6 weeks. A Grade 3 strain is unimaginable. Season over.
Regardless of the outcome, Doncic is done for the remainder of the regular season.
Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers grabs a rebound during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 2, 2026 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images
He ends it with 64 total games played. One short of the league’s 65-game threshold to be eligible for major postseason awards like MVP, All-NBA, and All-Defensive teams.
For Doncic, that means no chance at MVP. No All-NBA First Team. No hardware. And more importantly, no financial escalators tied to those honors.
All of that hinged on 99 seconds.
And here’s the part that lingers, like a line you wish you could rewrite as you type it.
Two nights earlier, after beating Cleveland, Doncic was asked if he’d prefer to fast-forward to the postseason and skip the final stretch because everything was clicking for the Lakers. He was in the best scoring flow of his illustrious career, and the team did not need to risk injuries with six games left.
“No,” he said matter of factly. “We need some rest. We need to rest after the season, so I don’t want them to start now.”
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic hops to the side of the court during a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
The irony cuts clean.
Because now, rest is coming. Whether the Lakers can afford it or not.
Another important question to ask, is even if Doncic does return for the playoffs in exactly two weeks, what version of him will we see?
A compromised engine in a playoff race demands perfection. To play at the highest level it involves sprinting, cutting, stopping, absorbing contact. One misstep and Doncic reaggravates the injury. There’s no margin left.
Which brings us back to the beginning.
Ninety-nine seconds.
That’s all it took.
Not to lose a game that’s outcome was already decided.
But to potentially lose a once-in-a-generation player because of it, that now puts the entire season waiting on the results of an MRI. That verdict will echo far louder than anything that happened on the scoreboard in OKC.
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 03: Miles Mikolas #36 of the Washington Nationals pitches in the first inning during the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on Friday, April 3, 2026 in Washington, District of Columbia. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
It all started so well, but the Nats dreams of winning the home opener collapsed quickly, as the Dodgers lineup showed why they are elite. The Nats were up 3-0 after two innings thanks to a CJ Abrams homer, but the Dodgers turned that into an 11-4 deficit in what felt like a blink of an eye. While the Nats have competed with the Cubs and Phillies, the Dodgers showed them levels today.
In this game, one thing stuck out like a sore thumb, and it was the performance of starting pitcher Miles Mikolas. He re-wrote Nationals history today, but not in a good way. The veteran right hander allowed 11 earned runs, the most in team history. Both of Mikolas’ starts with the Nats have been shaky at best, and he has not given the team a chance to win.
Miles Mikolas has officially been charged with a Nationals club-record 11 earned runs.
The craziest part is how fast things got out of control. Through the first two innings, Mikolas was cruising, getting the first six Dodgers hitters out. However, when you don’t have elite stuff, things can get ugly if you make mistakes. That is exactly what happened for Mikolas.
Blake Butera was in awe of the Dodgers lineup, saying Mikolas “had to be almost perfect against these guys”. He was perfect in the first two innings, but when he stopped being perfect, disaster struck. From the third inning on, it felt like the Dodgers were taking batting practice. Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Andy Pages all took Mikolas deep.
He was facing a tough lineup, but it just feels like Mikolas is a guy at the end of the line. The veteran will not be going anywhere, at least for now. Butera said they will watch the video, then Mikolas and the staff will work on how to make adjustments. It would feel a bit unfair to only give Mikolas two starts, but he is going to have to put together some competitive outings, and fast.
Between the third and fifth inning, the Dodgers scored 11 runs. This avalanche just drowned the Nats, even though their offense was solid today. Later in the game, Kyle Tucker hit the Dodgers fifth home run. It was his first one with the club, and it was the cherry on top for the defending champs.
Kyle Tucker just hit his first home run as a Dodger.
It's the Dodgers' fifth home run of the day.
Tucker hit it 101.6 mph off the bat and it went 404 feet. It caps off a three-hit day for him.pic.twitter.com/ZJSEUluH2T
While the Mikolas disaster will rightfully take up the headlines, the Nats offense looked promising once again. Everyone in the lineup actually got a hit. You do not see that often in a game you lose by 7. I guess that just shows the might of the Dodgers lineup.
One guy I want to highlight is the man who got the party started and sent Nats fans into a frenzy in the first. That would be CJ Abrams, who hit his second home run in as many games. Both of his homers were quite similar. He has a unique ability to pull outside pitches for homers. That is what he did for both of his three run shots in the last couple games.
CJ Abrams might be the best puller of outside pitches for home runs I’ve EVER seen
Hot starts are nothing new for Abrams. He has had tremendous first half numbers each of the last two seasons before tailing off at the end. For his part, Blake Butera does not really think Abrams is off to a hot start. He said, “I am not really sure I would call this a hot start, this is just CJ”.
He acknowledged that Abrams does need to put a full season together, but is confident that will happen. Butera talked about how if CJ can stick to his process, take things day to day and not get too wrapped up in small samples one way or the other, the consistency will come.
I am pretty bullish on Abrams keeping things up. With the new coaching staff and technology, he will have more tools to lean on when he inevitably goes through a rough stretch. The big thing for Abrams is preventing those rough weeks from turning into rough months.
Another hitter that has impressed me, really since Spring Training is Brady House. He looks like a completely different hitter this season. The confidence looks way higher and he is much more in control of his at bats.
House taking two walks today felt really notable. He already has four walks in seven games. Last season, he only had 8 walks in 73 games. This is not a fluke, House just looks way more comfortable.
Brady House has two walks today. That's four walks in seven games. He is halfway to eight, which was his walk total in 73 games a season ago.
House has a history of starting slow at a new level before solving it. We saw that in Triple-A, where he really struggled in 2024, before mashing his way to a big league call up in 2025. Now, it looks like he is figuring things out at the MLB level. Big league pitchers will adjust back, so he will have to be constantly evolving. However, House feels like he has found his footing in the box.
Obviously, today was a very discouraging home opener, but you could still find some silver linings. Jake Irvin will take the mound tomorrow, and hopefully his new look arsenal will play against the Dodgers. He was impressive in his first start of the season, but the homer prone righty is going up against an unforgiving Dodgers lineup.
Hopefully, the Dodgers got all the runs out of their system today and the Nats can bounce back these next two games. It was not the result anyone wanted, but it was nice to be back at Nationals Park and covering the home opener for the first time in the press booth.
Curry has averaged 27.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 39 games played this season, while shooting 46.8% from the field, 39.1% on 3-pointers and 93.1% on free throws.
The Warriors have posted a 9-18 record in those 27 games without Curry, including back-to-back home losses against the San Antonio Spurs and Cleveland Cavaliers on April 1 and 2, respectively.
Prior to the Warriors' April 2 game against Cleveland, the team had a scrimmage which Curry participated in. Head coach Steve Kerr told reporters before the Warriors-Cavaliers game that Curry looked liked himself during the action.
"Everything went well. Yeah, he looked good," Kerr told reporters. "He’s pretty good. He looks like Steph Curry."
The Warriors have suffered a number of injuries in the 2025-26 season. So it's no question that getting their superstar and leader back would be huge, not just for the gameplay on court, but to the team morale, as well, Kerr said.
"Yeah, I mean he brings hope to a tough situation," Kerr told reporters. "I thought [Spurs'] game, we were never really in the game, but the guys fought, they competed, they stayed with it until the end. The vibe was good. When Steph’s around, the vibe tends to be better. It’s definitely better right now so hopefully we’ll have another good effort tonight and he’ll be on the sidelines cheering. We’ll see how it goes the next couple of days but we’re obviously dying to get him back.”
Curry's return in just in time to get back into basketball shape for the post season.
The Warriors are set to play in the NBA Play-In Tournament, as the won't be able to catch the Western Conference's No. 6 seed before the regular season ends. The Warriors (36-41) are currently the No. 10 seed in the West and have five games remaining before the postseason begins Tuesday, April 14.
Atop them, by three games, are the Los Angeles Clippers (39-38) at the No. 9-slot. The Portland Trail Blazers are 40-38, a half game above the Clippers at No. 8.
DALLAS — Lakers star Luka Doncic will be sidelined for the rest of the regular season because of Grade 2 left hamstring injury he suffered during Thursday’s road loss to the Thunder, the team announced on Friday after Doncic received an MRI.
Even though the Lakers didn’t provide an official timeline for when Doncic is expected to return to the court or be reevaluated, he will also likely miss the start of the playoffs, which start on April 18.
Grade 2 hamstring strains typically come with a recovery timeline of 3-6 weeks. InStreetClothes, which is an NBA injury database ran by certified athletic trainer Jeff Stotts, stated that the average time lost for type of injury Doncic suffered is about 35 days.
The Lakers, who are 50-27 and at third place in the Western Conference standings, already clinched a playoff spot and will bypass the play-in tournament (April 14-17) for the second straight season.
Three weeks from when Doncic suffered the hamstring injury is April 23, which would be around Games 3 or 4 of the Lakers’ first-round playoff matchup.
A timeline closer to 35 days, let alone six weeks, would likely take Doncic out of the Lakers’ entire first-round playoff series, even if it lasted seven games.
Doncic left during the third quarter of the Lakers’ blowout loss to the Thunder after suffering the hamstring injury drive attempt against Thunder wing Jalen Williams.
Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts from the floor after a play during the second half against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Getty Images
He was hobbling and limping to stay off his left leg before laying down underneath the basket by the Thunders’ bench, with coach JJ Redick calling timeout to sub Doncic out of the game.
“At this point, at this juncture of the season, it’s the last thing you want to see,” LeBron James said after Thursday’s game. “Anybody on our team, but when you have an MVP candidate on your team, the last thing you want to see is somebody go down with a hamstring injury.”
Doncic was on the injury report because of left hamstring soreness before the March 27 home win over the Nets, but played after being listed as questionable, scoring 41 points in 39 minutes to lead the Lakers to a victory.
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He sat out of Monday’s win over the Wizards, serving his one-game suspension because of an accumulation of technical fouls after picking up his 16th of the season against the Nets, before having 42 points in Tuesday’s home win over the Cavaliers.
He appeared to injure the left hamstring in the first half but tried to play through.
Doncic was seen grabbing at his hamstring after making a layup late in the first quarter, and again late in the second quarter after driving and passing to Luke Kennard.
“We checked him out,” Redick said on Thursday. “He got work done. He was cleared. I mean, again, we’re not going to put a player at risk. Those things happen.”
Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers looks to pass the ball during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 2, 2026 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images
Doncic walked off the court under his own power before going back to the locker room.
“You wish for the best,” Austin Reaves said on Thursday. “Obviously, you don’t want to see anybody get hurt. But you hold on to some faith for the best news possible. I’ve gotten to know him the last year and a half. He’s a competitor, so he’ll do all he can do to put himself in a position to come back when he can.”
Mar 28, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Chad Patrick (39) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
UPDATE: Tonight’s game has been postponed due to expected inclement weather. The game will be made up tomorrow, when the Royals and Brewers will play a double header with games at 1:10 and 6:10. Good news for those without Apple TV access; both games tomorrow will be on Brewers TV.
The Milwaukee Brewers, coming off a 5-1 homestand to kick off the season, take their show on the road for the first time tonight when they take on the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. (Check out Harrison’s series preview here.) Chad Patrick is scheduled to pitch for the Brewers, while Luinder Avila will make his first career start after debuting with 13 (effective) relief outings down the stretch last seasonAv. There is weather in the area, though, so keep an eye out for delays.
Milwaukee swept the White Sox in their first series of the season and then took two of three from the Rays, and there was no shortage of dramatics along the way. Kansas City opened the season by losing two of three in Atlanta, but took two in a three-game series with the Twins to open their home schedule.
Patrick is coming off a start in which his final line wasn’t bad, but in which he didn’t seem to have his best stuff. He allowed just one run in 4 1/3 innings, but the White Sox made some hard, tough-luck contact toward the end of the outing. Still, he walked only one batter compared to four strikeouts, and his pitch count (74 in 4 1/3 innings) wasn’t disastrous.
Avila, a righty, counts as a rookie, though, as mentioned, he made 13 appearances and threw 14 effective innings (1.29 ERA, 2.14 FIP) last season, all but one in September. Avila isn’t a complete non-prospect (he ranked 19th on MLB Pipeline’s Royals list going into 2025 and 9th in 2026), but he’s never been a top 100 prospect. Avila does through pretty hard (he features a four-seam fastball and a sinker which sit at about 96 mph) but intriguingly he threw his curveball more than any other pitch last season, a whopping 43% of the time. We’ll see if that persists into this season, when he’ll presumably take a slightly different approach as a starter. He has struggled with control in the minors, and even when he was so good at the end of last season, he walked almost four batters per nine innings. Avila also made two scoreless appearances totaling four innings for the champions from Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic this spring, though he walked as many guys as he struck out and was perhaps fortunate to get through unscathed.
The Brewers’ lineup is, unsurprisingly, packed with lefties (their clearly stronger side, with Jackson Chourio and Andrew Vaughn out) against the right-handed Avila. Of note, David Hamilton is getting the start at shortstop, while Luis Rengifo slides into the starting lineup at third base. Joey Ortiz will start the game on the bench tonight. One right-handed surprise, though, is Brandon Lockridge in left-field, who gets a start versus the right-hander over the switch-hitter, Blake Perkins.
An old friend is in the Kansas City lineup tonight; Isaac Collins, who has warmed up a bit after a tough start, is in left field for the Royals. The main attraction, of course, is superstar shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., batting second, who might be almost as good as Brice Turang.
There’s also Brewers news that doesn’t directly involve the major-league team: Cooper Pratt’s extension has been finalized, and he’s been added to the 40-man roster (and optioned to Triple-A Nashville, where he played last weekend). Steward Berroa has been designated for assignment to open that roster spot.
Tonight’s game, scheduled for 6:45 (but again, watch the weather), is exclusively on Apple TV. If you’re not an Apple TV subscriber, the game will, as usual, be on the Brewers Radio Network.
Christian Scott’s first start of the season at Triple-A Syracuse did not go as planned, as the Mets’ right-hander was roughed up for seven runs in 3.1 innings.
The 26-year-old, who is coming off Tommy John surgery that cost him nearly two years of baseball, surrendered those seven runs (six earned) on nine hits and one hit batter before being pulled in the fourth after throwing 65 pitches.
On the positive side of things, Scott tallied five strikeouts and was around the zone a lot, throwing 46 strikes. He posted a 37 percent called-strike plus whiff rate and his fastball velocity stayed rather consistent from inning to inning, averaging 95.7 mph, which is up 1.5 mph.
However, he allowed a lot of really solid contact, with the visiting Toledo Mud Hens cracking five balls with an exit velocity over 102 mph.
The first inning was the lone inning the righty didn’t allow a hard-hit ball, but he was stung for a run due to a bit of tough luck when Max Clark’s bloop down the left-field line just stayed fair and MJ Melendez’s errant throw to second base allowed Clark – who wasn’t even attempting to advance – to reach third on a two-base error. On the next pitch, Scott was called for a balk by the home plate umpire, apparently after not coming to a full set, plating the run.
The righty rebounded with two strikeouts to end the frame, getting Trei Cruz looking at a 98 mph heater up in the zone and Jace Jung swinging through an up-and-away slider.
After Melendez atoned for his mistake with a solo shot in the home half of the first, Scott gave the runs right back, surrendering an opposite-field solo homer to right by Eduardo Valencia (103.5 mph off the bat) on a slider and Gage Workman pulling a shot to right-center (109.3 mph) on a down-and-in slider.
Scott then threw six-straight fastballs to get ex-Met Tomas Nido and Ben Malgeri swinging after the homers as he looked to settle back into things.
However, three straight singles started the third, scoring a fourth run off Scott. But that was all, as he got Jung swinging on an offspeed pitch and Valencia to line into a double-play to second on a sharply hit ball (102.7 mph) to end the frame.
After getting a flyout to start the fourth, the wheels came off. Nido got a measure of revenge, lacing a double (107.1 mph) to left on a first-pitch middle-middle fastball. Scott left another fastball middle-middle, and Malgeri got his revenge, rocketing it to the right-center gap for a double (109.1 mph).
After hitting a batter and a mound visit, Scott left another fastball in the middle of the plate, and Wenceel Perez drove it over Melendez's head for an RBI double, and that ended the right-hander’s afternoon.
The NHL regular season is slowly moving toward the finish line, and there are still some big moves by teams both inside and out of the playoff race.
This week on The Hockey Show, co-hosts Roy Bellamy and David Dwork started things off by discussing the major changes made by the Vegas Golden Knights and Toronto Maple Leafs.
Vegas fired Head Coach Bruce Cassidy, who won a Stanley Cup with the Golden Knights in 2023, and replaced him with John Tortorella with just eight games remaining until the playoffs.
Toronto, meanwhile, fired General Manager Brad Treliving, furthering a frustrating run of futility for a franchise that had made the playoffs nine straight years.
In addition to those topics, the boys also chatted about the Seattle Kraken’s attempt at making the playoffs.
To help dive into all things Kraken, and the PWHL’s Seattle Torrent, Roy and Dave welcomed Alison Lukan to the show.
This week’s wins and fails of the week included a third goal fight in as many months, a Goal of the Year candidate from Matthew Tkachuk, a rough night for the other Tkachuk brother and a costly overreaction to a big hit.
You can check out this week’s full show and interview in the videos below:
A beautifully crafted half-century by skipper Shreyas Iyer took Punjab Kings to a second successive victory, by five wickets against Chennai Super Kings, and to the top of the Indian Premier League table on Friday.
In the 10th, the White Sox lost the lead for the first time in the game after a careless error — then rallied in the bottom half by forcing Toronto in a careless error themselves. Newcomers Derek Hill and Tristan Peters (who both faced key setbacks earlier in the game) were the key to the win, perhaps truly signalling a real difference in the 2026 team.
The pilot of 2005’s famed “grinders” who went wire-to-wire as division leaders and ran off 11 wins in 12 games to capture the title would have been proud. Right after the live announcement after the top of the third inning, the White Sox rallied to take a 3-1 lead over Toronto, buoyed by a double-steal of second and third.
With one out, Miguel Vargas walked and Colson Montgomery singled softly to third base, before triggering the double steal, one that caught Jays third baseman Kazuma Okamoto on his heels for a pair of easy swipes. From there, Austin Hays turned a full-count inside fastball burning at 98 mph for the lead safety:
And just for extra measure, Chase Meidroth saw Okamoto laying back and dropped a deliciously perfect bunt single in the fourth.
But just like the 2005 White Sox, whose supposed grindiness belied immaculate pitching from 1-12, today’s story was the buff arms on the Chicago side. Reliever Grant Taylor got the start as opener, and threw nine pitches, all strikes. He worked a fast and fearsome first frame.
Taylor gave way to bulk pitcher Sean Burke, and aside from an initial hiccup in the second that saw back-to-back doubles tie the game, 1-1, the righthander carried on what Taylor began. Burke was sharp, aggressive, and efficient enough to take the game through the seventh. Those six innings of four-hit, one-run, seven-K ball represented the longest White Sox outing of the season.
In the other dugout, it was veteran and former White Sox Dylan Cease who seemed to be pitching through some nerves and fighting with his focus and command. His error covering first base on a grounder to Vlad Guerrero Jr. allowed Meidroth to scamper home with the first White Sox run. Always durable but not always efficient, Cease got the collar after 93 pitches with one out in the fourth, and was in line for the loss.
Why just in line for the loss? Well, as is its wont, the White Sox bullpen caved. Two batters after Burke left the game, Andrés Giménez clobbered a first-pitch fastball out to right, and just like that the score was knotted at three.
But let’s not drop this at Leasure’s spikes only; the White Sox shut down their offense just three innings once again, striking out eight times (12 total in the game) and stumbling on the basepaths (Peters was picked off of second base in the sixth inning, and the eighth ended on a strike-’em-out, throw-’em-out of Hill).
With the game still tied heading into the bottom of the ninth, the White Sox hoped to improve on their mere three sayonara wins all year in 2025, but despite getting leadoff man Edgar Quero on with a single (four hard hits for Edgar on the day, two dropping for hits) and sacrificing pinch-runner Lenyn Sosa to second, they fell short.
In the 10th, Toronto took its first lead of the game after Vargas pulled Munetaka Murakami off of the bag for an error that allowed Manfred Man David Schneider to score.
A productive out pushed Manfred Man Vargas to third to start the White Sox 10th, and thus commenced a crazy sequence to finish the game. After Austin Hays caught a break on a third strike he did not check on but got a generous call from the first-base ump, catcher Alejandro Kirk then saved the lead with an incredible stop on a wild split-fingered pitch. On the very next toss, Hays fouled the ball off and sent Kirk from the game with an injured thumb.
Hays ended up striking out, but Hill stepped right out with a gutsy bunt, challenging new catcher Tyler Heineman and succeeding, as Heineman threw the ball past first base and allowing Vargas to tie the game.
The Sixers roared into a higher gear in the second half to surge past the Timberwolves and earn a 115-103 win Friday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
The win ensured the Sixers stayed in sixth place (and out of the play-in tournament places) in the Eastern Conference standings. At the final buzzer, the seventh-seeded Raptors held an 18-point halftime lead over the Grizzlies. Toronto would join the Sixers at 43-34 with a victory.
Paul George’s 23 points led the Sixers. Tyrese Maxey and Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 21 apiece.
Joel Embiid had 19 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists.
Bones Hyland and Julius Randle each posted 21 points for the T-Wolves, who fell to 46-31.
The Sixers will conclude their back-to-back by hosting the Pistons on Saturday night. Here are observations their win over Minnesota:
Exemplary Barlow start
VJ Edgecombe scored the game’s first basket with a slick fadeaway jumper. George put the Sixers up 5-1 when he swished a three-pointer after Dominick Barlow grabbed an offensive rebound and kicked the ball out.
Barlow had an excellent, typically scrappy opening stint that included three offensive boards, four defensive rebounds, five points on 2-for-3 shooting and sturdy defensive work against Julius Randle. Not that Sixers head coach Nick Nurse needs it, but Barlow provided further evidence Friday that he’s a viable starting option in the postseason.
Embiid was back in the Sixers’ starting lineup after missing the team’s victory Wednesday over the Wizards with an illness. He didn’t look anywhere near his peak level at the start of the game.
The Sixers’ star big man was slow to run up the floor and join the offense a couple of times in the first quarter. He began 0 for 4 from the floor, had a three-point attempt blocked by Naz Reid and turned the ball over on a casual first-quarter outlet pass.
Bones brings it
The Timberwolves started 4 for 26 from the field and 1 for 13 from three-point range.
Minnesota only mustered 17 points in the first quarter … and trailed by just two entering the second. Not the finest quarter for either offense.
Hyland gave the T-Wolves a serious spark in the second quarter.
A native of Wilmington, Delaware, Hyland had gleeful reactions to just about every positive play. He made three long-range jumpers in the second quarter, helped Minnesota build a lead as high as nine points, and posted a team-high 14 in the first half. Hyland’s outing brought back memories of his 21-point performance as a rookie in the Nuggets’ March 2022 win over the Sixers.
Meanwhile, Embiid shot 1 for 10 from the floor in the first half and the Sixers went 2 for 13 beyond the arc.
Embiid-Drummond pair does the trick
George was by far the most productive Sixer in the first half.
He did much of his damage before halftime as an aggressive driver. George reached double-digit free throw attempts early in the third quarter. He took a season-high 10 foul shots in the game and made eight.
Embiid hit a mid-range shot on his first attempt of the second half. The Sixers gained momentum during a stretch in which T-Wolves superstar Anthony Edwards missed a wide-open dunk. Embiid’s jumper cut the Sixers’ deficit to one point and a fast-break Edgecombe jam pushed the team into the lead.
Fatigue was surely a factor on the second night of a back-to-back for the Timberwolves, who had an eight-man rotation until Terrence Shannon Jr. subbed in late in the third quarter.
Nurse’s fourth man off the bench was quite surprising.
Andre Drummond subbed in with 2:04 to go in the third quarter and played next to Embiid. The Drummond-Embiid frontcourt minutes went extremely well for the Sixers. Two Quentin Grimes fast-break layups gave the Sixers an 83-71 lead. Drummond didn’t drain threes or make tons of highlight plays, but he was solid on both ends of the floor. The veteran big man ended up with four points and six rebounds in nine minutes.
Nurse had hinted pregame at still having a few rotation ideas he wanted to explore before the postseason. Perhaps Drummond-Embiid minutes were one of them.
The Sixers expanded their lead early in the fourth quarter with Embiid and Maxey on the bench. George drilled two threes to extend their advantage to 99-82.
The Maxey-Embiid duo subbed back in with a little under five minutes left and the Sixers holding a 14-point lead. Minnesota hung around, but the Sixers ultimately secured a winning start to their back-to-back without much late-game drama. Oubre canned a pair of threes down the stretch to ice the win.
