SAN ANTONIO, TX - APRIL 10: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs dunks against the Dallas Mavericks in the first half at Frost Bank Center on April 10, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Victor Wembanyama needed to play one more game to qualify for end-of-season awards. After a rib injury, many people suggested he could do 20 minutes of cardio to meet the minimum requirements. Doing the minimum is not in Wembanyama’s nature. He exploded for 40 points in 26 minutes as the Spurs handled the Dallas Mavericks 139-120.
Wembanyama will lead the player grades for the second-to-last regular-season game. As a quick reminder, these grades are based on each player’s on-court performance, going beyond just the stat sheet. A “B” grade represents the average performance for an individual. If a player logs fewer than 5 minutes or plays only in garbage time, their grade will be incomplete.
It wasn’t just the stats Wembanyama put up, but the way he achieved them. He looked smooth on the perimeter, handling the ball and knocking down two three-pointers. He took bumps inside and still finished over the top of opposing defenders. It didn’t look like the rib injury was holding him back at all.
With 65 games in the can, Wembanyama is a lock to take home multiple awards. The Spurs’ big man is -20000 to win Defensive Player of the Year on FanDuel.
San Antonio needed a 40-28 third-quarter run to pull away from Dallas. That effort was led mostly by Fox, who had 14 of his 18 points in the third frame. Fox was a maestro with the rock while having an efficient shooting night. He also had some of the most explosive dunks we’ve seen from him in his time with the Spurs. It was a fun performance to watch, and without him, the Spurs may not have come away with the win.
Harper got exposed by Cooper Flagg a bit. Flagg went to work whenever Harper was guarding him on the perimeter. The rookie didn’t let it get to him. He fought back on the other end by getting to the basket, scoring at an efficient rate. This was one of Harper’s better passing games with six assists.
I’ve been loving Champagnie’s attacking mentality lately. As teams close out hard on him, respecting his jump shot, he’s been going right around them to get to the basket. His finishing around the basket has improved greatly from last season. He’s a real threat to score at the rim now. He’s been playing some solid off-ball defense lately, too, which will be important for the Spurs as teams try to find ways to score around Wembanyama in the playoffs.
Kornet went from dominating the Trail Blazers to playing a more subdued role against Dallas. He was still solid defensively in 18 minutes, walling up in the paint and breaking up passes near the rim. Seven boards in just 18 minutes is nothing to sniff at, either. Kornet’s performance against the Mavs was pretty typical: solid.
Vassell didn’t make much of an impact in his 27 minutes. He was cold when shooting the ball from deep, missing some open shots. He didn’t actively hurt the Spurs either. His defense remains solid, as he’s been able to accumulate some steals on the wing. He and Champagnie have been getting better and better at taking advantage of the defensive opportunities presented to them as teams look to avoid Wembanyama.
Unc was cooking on Friday! Barnes had 15 points, giving the Spurs an edge off the bench. Now Barnes needs to score 17 points or more in his final game of the season to give the Spurs their eighth player averaging double-digit points.
Johnson did what he does best against Dallas, getting to the rim and fighting on the boards. KJ grabbed 2 offensive boards on Friday. His impact on all aspects of the game has made him the leading candidate for Sixth Man of the Year.
Bryant continues to play great down the stretch. He’s been a sharpshooter from three in the last two games, as he’s starting to shoot them with a lot of confidence. On the other end, he continues to compete. He had an awesome block on Flagg that showed why so many believe he can develop into a real defensive stopper on the wing.
Apr 11, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Minnesota Twins left fielder Trevor Larnach (9) celebrates hitting a three run home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the third inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
The Twins bounced back in decisive fashion on Saturday afternoon, riding a wonderful start from Joe Ryan and an early crooked number to best the Toronto Blue Jays by a 7-4 final, and even the series at a game apiece.
Early momentum was not in Minnesota’s favor; after allowing 10 unanswered runs in the series opener, the Jays jumped on Joe Ryan early, with a two-run homer off the bat of Daulton Varsho making it a 2-0 Toronto lead before Ryan had recorded an out.
But from that point on, Ryan was nails. The Varsho homer was one of only two hits Ryan would surrender in a robust seven-inning start, the other a fourth-inning Vladdy Jr. single. Minnesota’s number-one starter retired the final 12 hitters he faced from then on, providing the bullpen with a much-needed respite in the midst of a remarkably long early-season stretch of games without a day off.
Meanwhile, the lineup consolidated all their momentum into a single inning. Facing an oft-troubling lefty, this time in the personage of Eric Lauer, the Twins were held off the board in every single frame of the game except the third. In that third, Brooks Lee kept his turnaround narrative hot with a leadoff blast to left to cut the Jays’ lead in half. Call-up Ryan Kreidler would ground out, but then it was off to the races.
Back-to-back singles from Byron Buxton and Austin Martin put set up a walk of Luke Keaschall to load the bases, and then a walk to tie the game when Ryan Jeffers drew a free pass on four straight out of the zone. Varsho’s name would come up again when a questionable read on a towering fly to center wound up going as a Josh Bell two-run single. With a 4-2 Twins lead and two outs later in the inning, Trevor Larnach homered against a left-handed pitcher, a three-run jack into right field that marked his jusf fifth career bomb off any southpaw.
Unfortunately, that was almost literally it for the Twins offense. Brooks Lee singled in the visiting sixth, the only remaining hit for Minnesota.
And while Ryan was great, Kody Funderburk had to tiptoe out of danger in the eighth inning, letting his first two assignments reach base and only just managing to record a shutout inning. Cole Sands was not so lucky; tasked again with the ninth, he gave Toronto two back when Jesus Sanchez launched a two-run shot for his second homer of the year.
The loss wasn’t the worst news of the night for the Jays, either; already absolutely beleaguered by injuries, George Springer suffered a toe fracture after fouling a pitch off his foot. He finished his at-bat, but was pulled for the rest of the game in the DH slot.
And so, with the highlights consolidated into one starting pitcher and one offensive inning, and the usual weaknesses (streaky offense + poor bullpen performance) rearing their heads, it is a somewhat incomplete victory that evens this series, but a victory nevertheless.
The rubber match is tomorrow, and the Twins have a lot to play for — a four-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers followed by a road victory against the reigning American League champions would do a lot to alter perceptions of this team in the early goings.
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - APRIL 10: Trevor Story #10 of the Boston Red Sox bats in a run against the St. Louis Cardinals in the fourth inning at Busch Stadium on April 10, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A Saturday national game, is this the pressure the Red Sox need right now? We at least see a little more normal of a lineup with Roman back in—maybe being the DH will let him focus on one thing at a time and his bat is more important right now. Can the Red Sox stop seeing red and pull out a victory or will Ranger Suárez keep getting pecked by the Redbirds?
⚾️ First Pitch: 7:15pm ET — Busch Stadium, St Louis, MO
They’re ravaged by injuries and playing without their top two scorers. They’re weak and vulnerable as they limp toward the finish line of the regular season.
And now, the rest of the Western Conference smells blood in the water.
When Lakers coach JJ Redick told reporters that “everybody wants to play us,” he wasn’t posturing or trying to light a fire under his team.
When Lakers coach JJ Redick told reporters that “everybody wants to play us,” he wasn’t posturing. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
He was stating out loud what everyone from the outside could clearly see. The Lakers, a rising force in the standings just a few weeks ago, have now become an exposed nerve.
“Let’s get that out there, like, everybody wants to play us,” Redick said Friday. “There’s probably teams in positions that can start looking forward to potential second-round matchups as well. You’ve seen some of those teams rest their entire lineups basically. We can’t be concerned with all that.”
After a dominant March, the Lakers looked like the team in the West that nobody wanted to face. Led by Luka Doncic playing at an MVP level, and Austin Reaves thriving as the secondary scoring option, the Lakers were firing on all cylinders.
They had rhythm, balance and multiple ways to beat you. They weren’t just beating teams, they were dictating everything.
Now, they’re asking LeBron James, at 41 years old, to rewind time and become the engine, the initiator and the closer for the Lakers Getty Images
Then everything unraveled.
During a blowout loss in Oklahoma City, Doncic suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain and Reaves a Grade 2 oblique tear. With the snap of Thanos’ fingers, nearly 60 points per night disappeared from the Lakers’ rotation.
Now, they’re asking LeBron James, at 41 years old, to rewind time and become the engine, the initiator and the closer for the Lakers. To carry the team on his back as they drag toward the checkered flag.
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To his credit, James has been brilliant the last two games, but brilliance from just one man won’t be enough once the postseason starts.
Not in a loaded Western Conference with the Thunder and Spurs separating themselves from the rest of the league. Not against the Nuggets, who casually rested most of their starters including Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray on Friday like they were already thinking a round ahead.
The Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic sat out Friday night to rest for the NBA playoffs. NBAE via Getty Images
Around the league, other teams see the same thing. A team missing its top two scorers. A roster asking role players to stretch into something they’re not comfortable or familiar with. A system that is trying to find “nine players to be fully all in.”
One of those players is Luke Kennard. For most of his nine-year career, he’s been a 3-point specialist off the bench. Now he’s trying to be one of the Lakers’ primary ball handlers and playmakers.
“You understand why teams want to play us. We’re missing 60 points a game,” said Kennard when asked about Redick’s comments on Friday and if it can be a rallying cry for the team. “But we also have him [James] and the way he’s playing and leading us. We’re going to need him to continue to do that.”
James can’t do it by himself, but to Kennard’s point, there is something dangerous about dismissing a team completely with one of the greatest players of all time still on it.
Even undermanned, the Lakers have won two straight games against teams that will be in the play-in tournament. That’s a faint pulse, not a flatline. It speaks to this team’s resilience and ability to overcome adversity all season.
James can’t do it by himself, but to Kennard’s point, there is something dangerous about dismissing a team completely with one of the greatest players of all time still on it. NBAE via Getty Images
“None of you guys had us in the top four to start the season. Most people had us as a play-in team or even worse,” said Redick of preseason predictions for the Lakers. “We’ve had to manage the expectations of the Lakers and the negativity that surrounds every loss, and I think our group has managed that well.”
By virtue of the Lakers’ victory over the Suns on Friday night, they secured a top-four seed and homecourt advantage in the first round. With a win in the final regular-season game Sunday against the Jazz and a Nuggets loss to the Spurs, they will finish third and face the Timberwolves for the second straight postseason. With a loss or Denver win, they will host the Rockets in the first round.
Regardless of their first-round opponent, without Doncic and Reaves, the Lakers will be underdogs. Both teams will try to stop James by throwing double- and triple-teams at him, forcing the Lakers’ secondary players to make decisions and beat them. And now, there’s not enough evidence to prove they can.
Unfortunately, this is the reality in Los Angeles now. The Lakers are vulnerable. Capable but compromised. They will have to punch above their weight to win a playoff series without two of their stars.
So, yes — everybody wants to play them and rightfully so.
PJ Haggerty is heading to Texas A&M and Isaiah Johnson is joining Texas as the Lone Star state’s two Southeastern Conference programs have landed former Big 12 stars in the transfer portal.
Each player announced his decision in an Instagram post.
Haggerty scored 23.4 points per game for Kansas State this season to rank fourth among all Division I players. Johnson is coming off a freshman season in which he averaged 16.9 points for Colorado.
Haggerty will be playing for his fifth different school. The 6-foot-4 guard was at TCU in 2022-23, Tulsa in 2023-24 and Memphis in 2024-25.
Haggerty has averaged at least 21.2 points each of his last three seasons. He was an Associated Press All-America second-team pick with Memphis last season and received honorable mention on this year’s AP All-America team. Haggerty also was an AP second-team all-Big 12 selection this season.
Johnson is a 6-1 guard who had three assists and 2.9 rebounds per game this season to go along with his 16.9 points per game.
Linus Ullmark made 23 saves for his 15th career shutout as the Ottawa Senators defeated the New York Islanders 3-0 at UBS Arena on Saturday afternoon. Ridly Greig and Michael Amadio led the way offensively, each putting up a goal and an assist for the Senators. Despite managing only 16 shots in the game, the Sens are now one point away from punching their ticket to the playoffs.
While leading 1-0 in the third period, the Senators capitalized on some good fortune when the Islanders took back-to-back tripping penalties. Jake Sanderson provided some breathing room, whacking home a rebound on the ensuing 5 on 3 to give the Sens a 2-0 advantage.
But the news wasn't all good.
Steve Warne, Gregg Kennedy and Brad Fritsch discuss the rise of Jordan Spence in Ottawa
Sens captain Brady Tkachuk left the game under mysterious circumstances. While standing in the neutral zone near the Islanders' bench, without seeming to take any contact at all, he appeared woozy as he left the ice surface.
Sens head coach Travis Green didn't have any update on what happened to Tkachuk and could only report that he didn't feel good.
So that leaves us to speculate.
For the second straight meeting, Tkachuk had squared off with Anders Lee at the opening faceoff, leading to speculation that maybe Tkachuk had been playing while concussed after the fight.
Some have suggested that Pulock struck him on the neck with his stick, which, after multiple views, I'm not seeing at all.
Cervical vertigo might also be a possibility. It can be triggered suddenly by certain neck movements, and you can see Tkachuk do a hard shoulder check, turning his head to his left. He then flinched when he was immediately surprised by Ryan Pulock jumping off the Islanders' bench to his right.
That's when Tkachuk retreated to the bench, suddenly going from looking sharp to wobbly.
Ryan Pulock seems to make no contact whatsoever. My best guess is maybe vertigo. That quick head turn, combined with the flinch from being surprised by Pulock in his blind spot could certainly trigger something like that. https://t.co/vislXLNf52
Whatever happened here, the Sens hope to wrap up a playoff spot quickly and give Tkachuk and the rest of their banged-up crew some time off if they need it.
The club has now won four in a row, moving past Boston and into the first Wild Card playoff spot in the East. The two teams have the same record after the Bruins lost in regulation on Saturday, but the Sens are now ahead because they have more regulation wins.
The Detroit Red Wings are now the only team behind the Senators in the standings that can still catch them, but a lot would have to go right. The Wings would have to win their next three games, starting today against New Jersey, while the Senators would have to lose their last two.
Ottawa visits those same Devils on Sunday.
Steve Warne The Hockey News
This article was first published at The Hockey News Ottawa. Check out more great Sens features from The Hockey News at the links below:
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 5: Nick Martinez #28 of the Tampa Bay Rays gestures towards Ben Williamson #15 during the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on April 5, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Matt Krohn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 05: Max Fried #54 of the New York Yankees pitches during the first inning against the Miami Marlins at Yankee Stadium on April 05, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Suddenly, the Yankees have dropped three-straight contests after losing two games at home against the Athletics then going down to defeat last night in St. Pete for the series opener. The good news is New York sends its ace to the mound tonight. The bad news is said ace cannot hit.* The worse news is neither can the rest of team, with a couple of exceptions.
This will be Max Fried’s fourth start of the season. The southpaw is coming off his worst outing thus far, one that was still perfectly cromulent, as Fried allowed three runs over 6.2 innings against Miami in an eventual 7-6 loss. Through 20 innings, Fried is varying his pitches with the effect of minimizing hard contact. He’s thrown each of his four-seamer, sinker, cutter, curve, change, and sweeper between 10 percent and 23 percent of the time. Good luck sitting on any one pitch. Unsurprisingly, opponents’ average exit velocity, barrel percentage, and hard-hit percentage all rest comfortably in the red on Statcast.
Veteran right-hander Nick Martinez gets the start for the Rays, his third this season. Like Fried, he’s thrown six different pitches at least somewhat frequently this season. Also, like Fried, the results have been good. Through 12 innings, Martinez has a 2.25 ERA and his Statcast has a bunch of red. One thing that jumps out: Yankee hitters will need to earn their way on base. Martinez has only issued one free pass so far, though he’s also only struck out seven. We should see balls in play tonight.
It might not matter how well Fried pitches if the Yankee lineup doesn’t figure it out. The bottom of the order has been a wasteland in the opening weeks. Tonight, Jazz Chisholm Jr. boasts the best OPS among the hitters in those slots, with a putrid .469 mark. Exacerbating the issue is that the top of the lineup is not hitting to the back of their baseball cards either, except for Ben Rice and Giancarlo Stanton, though the latter’s power is absent in the opening weeks of the year. Cody Bellinger, for example, has four hits in his last seven games. Aaron Judge has a singular home run in that stretch. And Trent Grisham has a .237 SLG this season. All told, the Yankees enter tonight with a .199 team batting average through 13 games, and five runs scored in their last three.
Let’s get this turned around. A couple of crooked numbers in the run column tonight for the Yankees would be the bee’s knees.
Apr 11, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Eric Lauer (56) walks towards the dugout against the Minnesota Twins during the third inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Well, yesterday’s good vibes did not long endure.
Something is up with Eric Lauer. He was sitting 90 early and about 87 by the fourth, and struggling to locate in a way that he hasn’t really since becoming a Blue Jay. His five walks were his worst since he was a rookie back in 2018. Perhaps it’s the lingering effects of the stomach flu that wrecked the pitching staff last week. He did throw 95 pitches, without evidence of arm soreness or anything like that. The rotation is already in tatters, so the Jays will have to hope that’s all it is.
In other bad news, Myles Straw came out to pinch hit for George Springer in the fifth inning (though as it happened he didn’t get into the game until the sixth). It turns out he broke his toe by fouling a ball off it.
Things didn’t start too badly for Eric Lauer. He allowed just a walk through the first two innings. Then the wheels came off. Brooks Lee lead off the third with a solo home run. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases, and his third walk of the day forced home a run. The Jays could have limited the damage, but a towering Josh Bell fly fooled Daulton Varsho into going back and dropped for a single, scoring two instead of recording the second out. A batter later, Trevor Larnach hit a missile off the facing of the second deck in right to run the Twins’ total up to seven before Lee popped up to end the inning. It was as bad of a meltdown inning as you’ll see. He stayed in the bullpen, presumably to spare the bullpen given Max Scherzer’s uncertain health for tomorrow, and regained his composure from there. In the fourth, an Austin Martin walk was erased when Brandon Valenzuela gunned him down trying to steal second. In the fifth, he sat the Twins down in order. They tried to get one more, and he retired one batter before giving up a walk and being removed from the game. All told, he went 5.1 innings, allowing 7 earned on 5 hits and 5 walks, striking out three. He didn’t give up a hit outside the nightmare third inning. It was a weird afternoon.
Spencer Miles took over, giving up a single to Lee that moved the lead runner to third before inducing Ryan Kreidler to ground into a double play to end the inning. Back for the seventh, he walked Martin but a fly out and a pair of ground outs got him out of it. In the eighth and ninth he retired the Twins in order, picking up a K in each inning. It was a strong performance that did a lot to help the rest of the team set up for what’ll probably be a quasi-bullpen day tomorrow, and he was getting it up over 96 in this fourth inning of work. Miles is looking like a great rule 5 pick and a key part of the bullpen.
The offence, on the other side, started hot against Joe Ryan before going silent. George Springer lead off the game with a walk, and Daulton Varsho put the Jays in front with a two run homer, his second of the year. From there, though, Ryan gave up only a hit batter among the next nine Blue Jays, and erased that with a double play. Vladimir Guerrero jr. lined a single to right to lead off the fourth, but the next dozen Jays batters went in order. Ryan only struck out five, but outside Varsho’s home run they couldn’t lay a finger on him.
They had marginally better luck with the bullpen. Kody Funderburk pitched the eighth. Ernie Clement singled and Andres Gimenez walked, but the rest of the lineup couldn’t capitalize. Facing Cole Sands in the ninth, Vlad hit a hard ground ball single back over the mound to lead off. Jesus Sanchez crushed one deep to right to bring the Jays within three. That was as close as they’d get, though, as Sands ended the inning there.
George Lombard Jr. continues to feel more comfortable in Double-A as his hot start to the minor league season continued on Saturday afternoon.
The Yankees' top prospect went 2-for-3 with a double, two RBI and two walks in the Somerset Patriots' 7-6 loss to the Binghamton Rumble Ponies. Lombard's season average through the team's first seven games now sits at .464.
Lombard's incredible start also includes two home runs.
It's a promising sign for the Yankees prospect after he struggled when he was promoted to Double-A last year. In 108 games with the Patriots, Lombard slashed .215/.337/.358 with an OPS of .695 and eight home runs.
The infielder wasn't the only prospect in Saturday's game. Ben Hess, the Yankees' No. 5 overall prospect, started the game, but his day was short. The right-hander tossed 2.2 innings, allowing just one run on two hits while striking out five batters. However, Hess walked five batters, contributing to his 82 pitches (42 strikes).
Saturday was Hess' second start this season after a strong debut when he allowed two runs on three hits while striking out nine batters across five innings.
George Lombard Jr. (@Yankees No. 1 Prospect) smacks a 2⃣ RBI single in the fourth.
Up with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, top pitching prospect Lagrange took the mound to start for the RailRiders.
The right-hander only went 3.1 innings, however, allowing two runs on two hits and four walks. He struck out eight batters as he continues to build his case to make the big league club this season.
Saturday's start saw Lagrange's season-high in strikeouts -- his previous two starts saw him strike out five batters combined -- but he allowed his most runs in the early season. Lagrange allowed one run in four innings in his season debut and one run in 3.1 innings in his second start.
Lagrange's ERA stands at 3.38 after three starts and he took his first loss after the RailRiders' 4-2 loss in the first game of their doubleheader.
Yankees outfield prospect Spencer Jones went 1-for-3 with an RBI single. The slugger has had a slow start to the season. He's batting just .205 with only two home runs in his first 12 games.
Jasson Dominguez, who isn't a prospect anymore but down with Triple-A to get everyday at-bats, continued his strong season by going 0-for-1 with two walks and a run scored. He entered Saturday's game slashing .375/.468/.575 with two home runs.
George Springer exited Saturday’s 7-4 loss to the Twins with a left big toe fracture, the team announced.
George Springer of the Toronto Blue Jays fouls the ball off his foot in the third inning of a game against the Minnesota Twins at Rogers Centre on April 11, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Springer left the game with a left big toe fracture. Getty Images
The four-time All-Star, facing Twins starter Joe Ryan in the third inning, fouled a ball off his foot but remained in the at-bat to ground out to first base.
Playing as the designated hitter, Springer was not officially removed from the game until the sixth inning when Myles Straw entered as a pinch hitter.
Springer, a Silver Slugger winner a year ago, is off to a slow start this season, going 10-for-54 (.185 average) with two homers and six RBIs. It’s not yet clear if the fracture will lead to an injured list stint.
Toronto has been badly bitten by the injury bug early this season. Starter Cody Ponce, signed over after a strong stint in the KBO, tore his ACL while trying to field his position and is now out for the year after needing knee surgery.
Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter George Springer falls to the ground after taking a foul ball off his foot while playing against the Minnesota Twins during third-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Saturday, April 11, 2026. AP
Catcher Alejandro Kirk took a foul ball off his thumb behind the dish and suffered a fracture, putting him on the shelf. Infielder Addison Barger was also shut down from baseball activities as he deals with ankle woes.
On top of all this, starters Shane Bieber and Jose Berrios — who are both dealing with elbow issues — have not yet pitched this season. The same goes for playoff hero Trey Yesavage, whose shoulder had kept him off the field.
In all, it’s led to a mediocre start for the defending American League champs, who sit at 6-8.
Apr 11, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies infielder Bryce Harper (3) rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the third inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
In last night’s game, the Phillies jumped out a big lead in the first inning, only to do nothing the rest of the way but give back the lead and the win. Today, the roles were switched. Arizona got out to a quick lead, then watched their starter give it all back.
I like it better that way.
Taijuan Walker started for the Phillies and did his usual “let’s spot the opposition the lead” thing that he seems to do each first inning of his starts. Today, he gave up a solo home run to Ketel Marte to begin the game.
Adrian del Castillo followed that with a one out RBI single to give the Diamondbacks a 2-0 lead before most people had settled into their seats. It’s a familiar scene with Walker, but has some good news. Once he gives up those first inning runs, he usually settles down after that and give the Phillies a chance to get back into the game. That happened today.
In the bottom of the third, Alec Bohm reached on an error, then went to second when Justin Crawford singled to begin the frame. With one out, Kyle Schwarber stepped up and delivered to get a lead.
What’s nice is that, with Brandon Pfaadt still in, Bryce Harper decided to give it a go on his own, going back-to-back with Schwarber to lengthen the lead.
Walker was very good once he was able to settle in, going five innings and only allowing those two runs. Tim Mayza and Orion Kerkering got out of a mini jam in the sixth inning before the seventh got a bit hairy. Jose Alvarado came in that inning with two outs and immediately hit Alek Thomas with a pitch. Thomas stole second, then went to third on a throwing error by J.T. Realmuto to put a run 90 feet from home before Alvarado induced a groundball to end the frame.
In the eighth, Brad Keller let in a two-out run thanks to a walk and two singles, but emerged victorious and not relinquishing the lead. Jhoan Duran took the ball in the ninth and went 1-2-3 to lock down what felt like a badly needed victory.
The offense still not scoring too many runs is still an issue, but a win is a win and the Phillies needed one. They’ll try and take the series tomorrow with Andrew Painter on the mound.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MARCH 25: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics and Jaylen Brown #7 shake hands during the second half against the Oklahoma City Thunder at TD Garden on March 25, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Celtics defeat the Thunder 119-109. 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 Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) | Getty Images
BOSTON — The Celtics could be without most of their rotation when they face the Orlando Magic on Sunday.
Jayson Tatum (right Achilles repair management), Jaylen Brown (left Achilles tendonitis), Derrick White (right knee contusion), and Neemias Queta (right toe sprain) are all out. Sam Hauser (low back spasm), Payton Pritchard (left foot plantar fasciitis), and Nikola Vučević (right ring finger fracture management) are all doubtful.
The lengthy injury report comes as no surprise, because the Celtics have already locked up the No. 2 seed with one game left to play in the regular season. None of the injuries appears to be cause for concern, and everyone except for Tatum laced up on Friday night, when the Celtics blew out the New Orleans Pelicans and solidified their standings in the Eastern Conference.
The Orlando Magic are still vying for playoff positioning
The Orlando Magic, meanwhile, will be at mostly full strength and are still playing for playoff positioning. Only Jonathan Isaac (left knee sprain) and Jett Howard (left ankle sprain) are questionable.
The Magic currently have the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference, but are tied with the Toronto Raptors for a 45-26 record. The Raptors are facing the Brooklyn Nets in their last regular-season game, and could lock up that sixth seed with a victory.
The Celtics and Magic could face off in the first round of the playoffs; the Celtics will face the winner of the Play-In game between the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds. (The Philadelphia 76ers currently have the 8th seed). The two teams faced off in the first round of the playoffs last year, with the Celtics winning the best-of-seven series in five games.
The Celtics and Magic have faced off three times this season — all in November — with Boston winning two of the three matchups.
Celtics-Magic will tip off at 6pm ET at TD Garden.
Five-time NBA All-Star point guard and current Amazon Prime Video NBA analyst John Wall takes a shot at some playoffs Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby.
Q: What is the key for the Knicks to reach the NBA Finals?
A: To me the key has always been all year: Can Mikal Bridges and [OG] Anunoby play well at the same time? … Outside of what you know you’ll get from [Jalen] Brunson and KAT [Karl-Anthony Towns], I think that takes their team to another level. I kind of go back to the game when they beat the Spurs pretty badly, everybody was clicking. I know you can’t get that every night, but I feel like those two guys are the key to their team going far.
A: I don’t think it’s no pressure, because last year they feel like they should have went to the Finals, if they don’t give that Game 1 away or Game 2 away against the Pacers, and then you come back this year when everybody thought it was a down year in the East with the Celtics dealing with injuries, the Pacers not having [Tyrese] Haliburton, and everybody, including James Dolan, thought the Knicks would be the No. 1 seed in the East. And you have Boston is still ahead of them, they just got Jayson Tatum back, which is scary for the league, but nobody expected the Celtics to be where they are.
Retired NBA player John Wall speaks on a pregame show prior the game between the Washington Wizards and the Milwaukee Bucks at Capital One Arena on January 29, 2026 in Washington, DC. Getty Images
Q: So you don’t think there’s pressure on the Knicks?
A: Yeah, they have pressure, but it shouldn’t really be no pressure. … They show us a run here, then they go on a losing streak. And then it’s like they kind of had a favorable schedule probably after that bad month of February that got them back on track because they were almost close to not being a top-three team in the East, and that woulda put a lot of pressure on them.
Q: If the Knicks meet the Celtics in the second round, how do you see that series?
A: I’m taking the Celtics on that one. … I feel like the Celtics are a more complete team. Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown, one of them is gonna be on the floor at all times, and they also have Derrick White, [Payton] Pritchard’s playing great off the bench, you got [Baylor] Scheierman, that’s another guy that knocks down shots. … I just feel like they’re a more complete team than what the Knicks are.
The Knicks beat Jayson Tatum and the Celtics on Friday night. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Q: So who do you see in the Eastern Conference finals?
A: Right now I have the Celtics and it’s up in the air. I feel like if the Knicks don’t have to see the Celtics, I would take them there. I like Detroit a lot, I just don’t know if Detroit has another guy that can create off the dribble outside of Cade Cunningham in the playoffs, ’cause the coverages that they’re gonna do with him, he hasn’t seen in the regular season. I’m not giving him my best coverages now when I know I might have to see him in the playoffs.
Q: So you would like the Knicks over the Pistons if they met?
A: Yes.
Q: Your thoughts on Mike Brown?
A: I like Mike Brown. We all talked about Jalen Brunson, we know how dominant he is, how much he scores the ball, but he’s ball dominant, and I think a lot of times all those other guys don’t get implemented into the offense and they kind of get lost. I feel like we were gonna get more ball movement, and we don’t get too many of those, it’s kind of like the same offense we had before. Only difference is he goes deeper into his bench than what Thibs [Tom Thibodeau] used to.
Q: Were you surprised when Thibs was fired?
A: Yeah, for a guy to get to the Eastern Conference finals, you don’t do that. I get you probably wanting to play more guys off the bench, but this has been Thibs’ motto his whole career, play probably seven guys at best, sometimes eight, but I play my main guys a lot of minutes. It’s kind of like you look at Cleveland’s situation, when LeBron [James] and them went to the Finals, the next year David Blatt’s fired. He got to the Finals, didn’t have Kevin Love and lost Kyrie Irving Game 1, he still was able to make it a competitive series as best he could.
Mike Brown calls out a play. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
Q: Correct me if I’m wrong, you don’t sound sold on Mike Brown.
A: Mike Brown’s not the problem. I feel like it’s the players in figuring out how to play well with each other at a high level. It’s about how can you get Jalen Brunson to still be efficient and be the way he is ’cause he’s so gifted, but he’s at his best when the ball is in his hands. I feel like anybody that coaches him is how can you get him to still be that killer guy he’s been for them and the clutch guy he has been for the Knicks and this city, and the fans love him, to get everybody else to also get going also? I’m not blaming Mike Brown for anything.
Q: What do the Knicks need from KAT in these playoffs?
A: KAT has to be KAT. KAT has to be dominant. KAT has to be a guy that can stay on the floor and block shots, defend for them at a high level. He has to be a guy that can knock down a 3 like he’s been doing, but also KAT has to take advantage of when teams put smaller guys on him. Let’s say if they meet Boston in the playoffs, Boston is gonna put Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown on him. And that’s a matchup he has to dominate in the post. If he’s dominating there, now you have to double-team and you have other guys have to do that. … I was talking to one of my Knicks friends that’s a fan, and he’s, “Oh yeah, we’re going to the Finals,” and I’m like, “Bro, you have to understand, you all had no Jaylen Brown yesterday, and you went to the wire with the Celtics.” And Josh Hart had to score 26 points. They shoulda won that game by 15 points, at best.
Q: What is the difference between the Brunson we see now and the Brunson who was in Dallas?
A: He wasn’t a franchise guy, he was trying to figure out his way. The series when Luka [Doncic] was hurt, and what he did against the Utah Jazz gave him an unbelievable confidence to understand, “Well, I might can be a No. 1 option in this league.” What he brings to the table is impeccable to do at his size and be efficient and be as clutch as he is. I just think he has to find a way to get other guys going and not just make him have to make jump shots all night for seven games. To me he’s not a true point guard, he’s more of a combo-type of guard. He’s gonna get the ball whenever he wants, he has the creativity to do whatever he wants when he feels, I feel like early on you have to get guys shots. First minute, minute-30 of the [Celtics] game, Mikal Bridges had seven points. He got it going. He goes missing for the rest of the game.
Q: How big of an impact does Mitchell Robinson have to be?
A: He’s a big key to them because what he brings off the bench, outside of free-throw shooting. A guy that can block shots, a guy that can switch out and really guard other people. And his offensive rebounding ability is very key for them. They really want to play him down the stretch, he just don’t shoot well from the free-throw line.
Q: What do you think of a possible Knicks-Hawks first-round matchup?
A: I think it goes six [games]. They have two guys that can guard, you have Nickeil Alexander-Walker who’s to me Most Improved Player this year, and then you got Jalen Johnson, that’s a guy that’s an All-Star, should be on the All-NBA team. So they can make it interesting because Onyeka Okongwu can guard KAT, he can space the floor and knock down 3s also.
New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson is greeted by New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby during the second quarter on Friday night. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Q: What other teams could be a threat to the Celtics?
A: If we get the James Harden and Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley that we expect to get, that’s another team that could be a threat. For me, I feel like it’s three teams that can give the Celtics a threat: the Knicks, the Cavs and the Pistons. But I just feel like the Celtics have been there before. And you know they got revenge on last year, they felt like they gave that series away to the Knicks, being up almost 20 every game, living by the 3, dying by the 3, not making ’em. So that was a saucy taste in their mouth. The Pistons also got a saucy taste, they feel like they coulda beat the Knicks.
Q: The Cavs?
A: Can James Harden knock off the curse of everybody saying he keeps missing in the playoffs? That’s the key for him. I think he unlocked Spida [Mitchell] to another level where Spida don’t have to worry about creating as much, just let him be a bona fide scorer. But I think Evan Mobley has to be the Evan Mobley that we saw last year making All-NBA and being a Defensive Player of the Year. It helps their team go over the hump.
Q: The Raptors?
A: Nah, they’re just not there. I think they have their closer when they went and got Brandon Ingram. We also gotta see how [Immanuel] Quickley can get back in there. I just don’t think they have enough to put any threat to the top teams.
Q: Joel Embiid, who just had appendicitis surgery, and the 76ers?
A: With Embiid, it’s a team that you probably don’t want to see if they’re all healthy, him, Paul George and [Tyrese] Maxey. But I think also it changes their dynamic of what they do offensively, they try to feed the ball to Embiid more, it takes away from Maxey being the guy he was early on in being aggressive and being able to attack. … He helps them offensively, it’s just Embiid can’t move defensively and that kind of might hurt him against certain matchups.
Q: Is there a sleeper team that can make some noise?
A: A sleeper team I want to talk about is the Magic. But I don’t think they ever gonna get it right. They got all the pieces, I just don’t know if Franz [Wagner] can get into a rhythm and help them out before the playoffs start. I want Paolo [Banchero] to be a guy that just gets downhill, you’re a guy that has the physical tools and ability, athleticism to get by anybody and the strength to dominate anybody in the paint.
Q: Who wins the Western Conference?
A: There’s three teams, nobody else in my opinion. [Oklahoma City], Spurs and Denver.
Q: Describe defending NBA champion OKC.
A: They have the same team as last year. They had to go through a lot of adversity this year with guys being out, and I love the guy Ajay Mitchell, he gives them another boost off the bench. You got the MVP from last year, SGA [Shai Gilgeous-Alexander] when games are close. They know who their go-to guy is and everybody just knows their role. Everybody just plays defense at a high level, they’d be ready to make open shots when they have to, and you have a guy like SGA that’s shooting almost 60 percent from the field, makes clutch shots and he’s a go-to guy.
Q: Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs.
A: I love them a lot just because they play so enthusiastic, everybody can defend for them, they all can create shots off the dribble. Only thing that scares me is, who’s gonna be their closer? We have never seen a player like Wemby. The closest thing you’ve seen was Kevin Durant, but then you have what Wemby does on the defensive end, it cancels all that out.
Q: Thoughts on Stephon Castle?
A: I love him. Dawg. Would love to have him on my team. Being with Dan Hurley at UConn they kind of taught him coming in. He’s not trying to go out there and get 30 every night, he has certain nights when he does that. But I think him being a true point guard for them has allowed De’Aaron Fox to get back to the scoring ability that we have seen before the All-Star break.
Stephon Castle of the San Antonio Spurs shoots the ball during the game against the LA Clippers. NBAE via Getty Images
Q: OKC versus San Antonio in the conference finals?
A: I can’t forget Denver. [Nikola] Jokic is another guy that can get to whatever he wants. And you got guys like Cam Johnson that’s finally figured out how to make shots and understands that he’s wide open.
Q: Is Jokic’s wrist a problem?
A: Health and some luck is all key to it.
Q: The Warriors with Steph Curry back?
A: That team you don’t want to see in the Play-In. If they get OKC first round, they don’t really go too far. You don’t know how long Steph can stay healthy with the injury he’s dealing with.
Q: The Lakers?
A: If Austin Reaves and Luka don’t come back in the first round, that can be bad for them, because if I’m the Rockets, I want to match up with them without Luka and Austin Reaves. Luka and Austin Reaves and Bron being the third option changes their team to a different dynamic.
Q: The Rockets?
A: I feel like if they get the Lakers they can get by there, but I don’t think they go far. We’re still dealing with the problem of them having a true point guard and trying to figure out what they can do. With the Lakers, when they play K.D. they double-team him and they force somebody else to beat ’em, and other guys gotta be able to shoot the ball at a high clip. I would live with that in a playoff series.
Q: K.D.?
A: I think teams are gonna frustrate him because they’re gonna double-team him or sit in those gaps and force somebody else to beat them for a whole series, and they just don’t have enough knockdown shooters to help ’cause their knockdown shooters don’t play defense at a high level, so it hurts ’em. So they got a good thing on one end and a bad thing on the other end.
Q: The T’wolves with Anthony Edwards?
A: Ant gotta get healthy. … Ant’s a bona fide killer, he has the old-school mentality. They’re trying to force Ant to be a point guard. … If he comes out and shoots 12, 14 shots in the first quarter, other teams are happy because nobody else has touched the ball and found a rhythm. But if he comes out and pass and get other guys shots and get them a little rhythm, he’s gonna be able to get 25 shots whenever he wants to. … We also forget, no credit away from them, but the last two years they got kind of lucky. Last year Steph Curry got hurt, I don’t think they beat the Warriors in that series if he doesn’t get hurt to get to the Western Conference finals.
Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves reacts against the Houston Rockets during the second half at Toyota Center on April 10, 2026. Getty Images
Q: The Suns?
A: They’re playing at a good level but not there yet.
Q: Who were your favorite point guards growing up?
A: Jason Kidd, Stephon Marbury, Steve Francis, Baron Davis. When I got closer to the league, it was too many. It was a point guard era where you had tough matchups maybe seven nights in a row. Steve Nash, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, [Rajon] Rondo, Russ [Westbrook], D. [Derrick] Rose. It was never a night off.
Q: Who are point guards you like now?
A: They’re more combo guards now. … If you go point guard, it’d be like Luka for sure, James Harden, SGA, you have Kyrie Irving when he’s healthy. … Jamal Murray’s a guy I like. Jalen Brunson’s a guy that’s very crafty that I like. Cade Cunningham’s for sure on that list.
Q: Your former Kentucky coach John Calipari?
A: The GOAT.
Q: What would be your message to Knicks fans about the upcoming playoffs?
A: Y’all better make it to the [NBA] Finals or y’all might have a new team next year.
"He will be the leader of this basketball team for many years to come," Manuel said, prompting a standing ovation from the fans in attendance at the event.
After inheriting a program that went 8-24 in 2023-24, May has gone 64-13 in two seasons at the school. His 2025-26 team went 37-3 and won the Big Ten regular-season title before a dominant run through the 2026 NCAA Tournament that was capped off by a 69-63 victory against UConn in the national title game last Monday. The 37 wins were a program single-season record.
May’s success in rapidly turning around the Wolverines has transformed him into one of the brightest coaching stars in the sport and has attracted interest from other programs. The 49-year-old Indiana native was widely linked to the vacant North Carolina position before May informed the university he wasn’t pursuing other college jobs.
"I'm very grateful, and during the (NCAA) tournament, I just told Warde I'm not leaving,” May said Saturday during an appearance on Big Ten Network, which was airing the championship celebration. “And I probably ruined any leverage I could have had. It's an honor to coach at this great institution, and I just look forward to what's next."
May had previously been the head coach at Florida Atlantic, where he led the Owls to an improbable appearance in the 2023 Final Four.
In February 2025, while guiding Michigan to a 19-win improvement and a run to the Sweet 16 in his first season, May received a one-year contract extension that ran through 2030 that raised his average annual salary from $3.825 million to $5.1 million.
Manuel told reporters that May’s new deal will run through 2031, though the financial details of the contract are still being finalized.
“I’m very relieved, but we knew it was done a few days before the final game,” Manuel said Saturday. “You want to have a coach that other people want, and I'm happy to keep him. Dusty and I have a great relationship and trust in one another. For me, it feels awesome to know that he's going to continue to lead this program and continue to be the head coach here at Michigan.”
