WASHINGTON — The Los Angeles Dodgers placed shortstop Mookie Betts on the injured list Sunday with a right oblique strain and recalled Hyeseong Kim from Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Betts left Saturday’s 10-5 victory over the Washington Nationals after walking and scoring in the first inning. Manager Dave Roberts said the Dodgers believe Betts was initially injured on a check swing during the at-bat.
While Roberts said he was hesitant to put a timeline on Betts’ return, he hopes it would be quicker than a 4 to 6 week absence.
“He’s actually in better spirits,” Roberts said. “He’s obviously disappointed, but just the way he feels today, I think he’s had some dealings with that before and said it’s better than he recalls in past experience, so that was encouraging.”
Betts is hitting .179 in Los Angeles’ first eight games. The 33-year-old hit .258 with 20 homers and 82 RBIs in 150 games last season.
Kim hit .280 with three home runs and 17 RBIs in 71 games as a rookie last season.
Roberts said Kim and Miguel Rojas will likely split time at shortstop while Betts is out. Rojas replaced Betts in Saturday’s game and is batting second on Sunday against the Nationals. Roberts said Kim is likely to start two of three games in the Dodgers’ series at Toronto that begins Monday.
The Dodgers’ lineup figures to have a different look as well. Betts hit in the No. 3 spot every game this season after spending much of last year batting second.
“He’s Mookie Betts, so it certainly changes,” Roberts said. “But that’s the great thing about having depth that a lot of teams don’t have. A platoon at short and you feel like you’ve got good matchups, it’s not all bad and it gives other guys opportunities. But it’s a blow, for sure.”
Barring an unexpected return far ahead of schedule, Cameron Payne won’t play again for the Sixers this regular season.
A team official said Sunday that an MRI confirmed Payne suffered a strained right hamstring during the Sixers’ loss Saturday night to the Pistons. He’ll be re-evaluated in approximately two weeks, the official said.
The Sixers’ final regular-season game will be next Sunday vs. the Bucks. With the Raptors’ loss Sunday to the Celtics, the Sixers are again sixth in the Eastern Conference standings at 43-35. The seventh through 10th seeds will participate in the play-in tournament, which is set to start April 14. Round 1 of the playoffs will begin April 18.
Payne had recently been on the edge of the Sixers’ rotation and didn’t play in two of the team’s last four games. His absence would make an injury to one of the Sixers’ healthy rotation guards — Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe and Quentin Grimes — a bit more damaging. The next guard on the depth chart would be Kyle Lowry, who turned 40 years old last month and has only appeared in 13 games during his 20th NBA season.
The 31-year-old lefty has averaged 7.4 points, 2.6 assists, 2.0 rebounds and 1.1 steals in his second stint as a Sixer. He’s shot 37.6 percent from the floor, 33 percent from three-point range and 86.4 percent at the foul line.
Johni Broome (right knee surgery recovery) was the one other Sixer listed as out for the team’s Monday night meeting with the Rockets. Joel Embiid was not listed on the Sixers’ injury report after sitting out the second leg of their back-to-back vs. Detroit.
PITTSBURGH, PA - DECEMBER 03: Kris Letang #58 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates his second period goal against the Florida Panthers at PPG PAINTS Arena on December 3, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Mar 30, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders head coach Patrick Roy and players on the bench react during the third period against the Pittsburgh Penguins at UBS Arena.
Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Patrick Roy was fired as coach of the New York Islanders on Sunday, another late-season change in the NHL that comes with the team in the middle of a spring tailspin that has put its playoff chances in jeopardy.
First-year general manager Mathieu Darche announced the abrupt decision to part ways with Roy and name Peter DeBoer his replacement with four games left in the season. The Islanders have lost four in a row and seven of their past 10 games, going from comfortably in a playoff spot to needing help down the stretch in a competitive Eastern Conference race.
Getting outshot 40-16 and losing 4-3 at division-leading Carolina on Saturday night in another must-win game was the final straw for Darche, who took over last summer and decided at the time to keep Roy behind the bench.
Roy is the second head coach fired over the past eight days. The Vegas Golden Knights fired Bruce Cassidy and hired John Tortorella on an interim basis a week ago.
This is not an interim move. DeBoer is taking the job full time.
The 57-year-old is fresh off serving as an assistant on coach Jon Cooper’s Canada’s staff at the Milan Cortina Olympics, serving as an advanced scout and helping a talented group reach the final before losing to the U.S. in overtime.
“More of preparation was just when everybody arrived here and you’ve got basically three days to prepare, that a lot of the grunt work is done,” DeBoer said in Milan. “I was involved in the scouting selection process. That was totally different for me and an exciting kind of wrinkle in what we usually normally do as coaches.”
DeBoer has taken two teams to the Stanley Cup Final and most recently coached the Dallas Stars to three consecutive trips to the Western Conference final before being fired last year following their latest exit.
Internationally, DeBoer was an assistant for Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off last year and has filled that role at multiple world championships. He called it a great opportunity for learning and perspective, even if being a head coach suits him better.
“Oh yeah, I’m a head coach,” DeBoer said. “I’m a short-term assistant coach. ... You always come back a better head coach for, I think, doing that.”
Roy, a Hall of Fame goaltender considered one of the best to ever play the position, was hired by former GM Lou Lamoriello in January 2024 as a midseason replacement for fired coach Lane Lambert. Sparked by his arrival, the team made the playoffs that year and lost in the first round to Carolina. Regression has followed since, though players in recent days still had praise for Roy.
“He cares about the guys in the room,” captain Anders Lee said last week. “I think his messaging this season has been on point and he’s been able to read the room in a really good place and done his best to continue us on this journey of an 82-game hockey season.”
Roy did not make it to game No. 82, nor did he have the kind of public outbursts during games that were part of his first NHL gig with Colorado.
“I heard (about) his temper and stuff, or I’ve seen it over the years, like everybody,” said winger Ondrej Palat, who joined New York in a trade from New Jersey in late January. “He seems very calm. On the bench, he could get heated with all the circumstances that happen in a game. But in the room and around the boys, he’s pretty calm and positive.”
Parting ways with Roy comes at crucial point for the organization. Rookie of the year front-runner Matthew Schaefer has been a revelation in his first NHL season at the age of 18, and several other top prospects are on their way.
Roy was in his second job running a team in the league, following a three-year tenure with the Avalanche from 2013-16 that included winning the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year and abruptly resigning in the middle of the summer. They hired Jared Bednar, who then coached them to the Stanley Cup in 2022.
Darche and the Islanders are hoping for the same trajectory after making this change.
The postseason buzz felt real on Easter Sunday in South Philadelphia.
The Flyers climbed into playoff position with a 2-1 overtime win over the Bruins at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Porter Martone scored his first career NHL goal to win it in OT. It came on a 5-on-3 power play and sent the crowd into a frenzy.
“It was awesome to get that win in front of these fans,” Martone said.
Christian Dvorak gave the Flyers an early lead and also assisted Martone’s winner. Dan Vladar was excellent in net. The goaltender pumped up the crowd when he skated back onto the ice as the game’s third star.
“All I heard before I came here was that the fans are passionate,” Vladar said. “I wanted to experience it myself and I did, so it was great.”
The Flyers (39-26-12) now hold the final playoff spot (third place) in the Metropolitan Division with five games to go. They took advantage of a busy Saturday going completely in their favor while they watched from home.
“It doesn’t happen all the time, the fortune went our way,” Rick Tocchet said before the game. “But we’ve been trying to not worry about what’s happening on the scoreboard. Obviously you look at it, but to me, some of that doesn’t matter if you don’t win hockey games. This is a big game for us.”
Tocchet’s club played like it, continuing its surge down the stretch. The Flyers won for the 14th time in their last 20 games (14-5-1) and have a real chance to end their five-year playoff drought (more on that below).
“I think that West Coast trip, after going 3-0, I felt a little swagger from the guys coming off the plane,” Tocchet said. “That’s a tough trip. I think the week before, we had some tough games, some odd hours going to bed. Then we go on that West Coast trip, to go 3-0, I think that really added a lot of belief.”
The Flyers went to overtime for the 27th time this season. They’re 15-12 after regulation.
They took two of three games from the Bruins (43-26-9) in their regular-season series.
“I think this past month, just how we’ve been playing, it has been playoff hockey,” Noah Cates said. “For us to just stay above, be disciplined, not try to do something fancy or something stupid at the blue line, it speaks to the growth of the team — where we want to go, where we want to be, just how good we can be when we play that way.”
In the division race, the Flyers are also battling the Blue Jackets and Capitals. Columbus has 88 points and was idle Sunday. Washington stayed at 87 points after being blown out by the Rangers. The Flyers have a game in hand on the Capitals.
The Flyers entered the day in a four-way tie with the Senators, Red Wings and Blue Jackets for the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot. Detroit lost in regulation to the Wild. Ottawa beat the Hurricanes, so it holds the second wild-card position at 90 points.
As of right now, the Flyers can focus on the division race. They control their destiny for third place.
• Vladar did his job once again, denying 18 of 19 shots.
The 28-year-old has given up just two goals over the last two games.
Boston cracked Vladar in the opening minute of the third period when Pavel Zacha scored a power play goal. Carl Grundstrom was in the penalty box for interference toward the end of the second period.
Bruins netminder Joonas Korpisalo stopped 29 of the Flyers’ 31 shots.
Dvorak struck just 4:19 minutes into the game. Martone sprung him with a crafty touch pass.
“That’s not an easy play at all,” Dvorak said. “It was right on my tape, I didn’t even have to move my stick.”
The 19-year-old winger has not played like a teenager since signing his entry-level deal. He looks like he belongs.
“You can just tell he’s a hockey player, he loves the game,” Tocchet said. “Even on the bench, you tell him something, he’s a very engaged kid.”
Through his first four games, with the pressure of a playoff race, Martone has a goal, two assists and 20 shots.
“It’s impressive, not easy to do that coming from college and right into a playoff race,” Dvorak said. “He’s a big body, really smart, high hockey IQ player. That’s really important in this league.”
Martone had a couple of looks with under five minutes left in regulation, but he couldn’t beat Korpisalo. Not long after denying Martone twice, Korpisalo turned away Tyson Foerster at the doorstep.
But Martone got Korpisalo in OT.
“For me, just every shift, come back to the bench and reset,” the 2025 sixth overall pick said. “The goalie made two good saves on those. I knew if I got another chance, hopefully it would go in.”
• The Flyers are back in action Tuesday when they visit the Devils (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).
The postseason buzz felt real on Easter Sunday in South Philadelphia.
The Flyers climbed into playoff position with a 2-1 win over the Bruins at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Porter Martone scored his first career NHL goal to win it in OT.
Christian Dvorak gave the Flyers an early lead. Dan Vladar was excellent in net.
The Flyers (39-26-12) now hold the final playoff spot (third place) in the Metropolitan Division with five games to go. They took advantage of a busy Saturday going completely in their favor while they watched from home.
“It doesn’t happen all the time, the fortune went our way,” Rick Tocchet said before the game. “But we’ve been trying to not worry about what’s happening on the scoreboard. Obviously you look at it, but to me, some of that doesn’t matter if you don’t win hockey games. This is a big game for us.”
Tocchet’s club played like it, continuing its surge down the stretch. The Flyers won for the 14th time in their last 20 games (14-5-1) and have a real chance to end their five-year playoff drought (more on that below).
They went to overtime for the 27th time this season. They’re 15-12 after regulation.
The Flyers took two of three games from the Bruins (43-26-9) in their regular-season series.
In the division race, the Flyers are also battling the Blue Jackets and Capitals. Columbus has 88 points and was idle Sunday. Washington has 87 points and visits the Rangers tonight. The Flyers have a game in hand on the Capitals.
The Flyers entered the day in a four-way tie with the Senators, Red Wings and Blue Jackets for the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot. Detroit lost in regulation to the Wild. Ottawa is currently playing the Hurricanes.
As of right now, the Flyers can focus on the division race. But we’ll update the latest on the wild card here when the Senators-Hurricanes game goes final.
• Vladar did his job once again, denying 18 of 19 shots.
The 28-year-old has given up just two goals over the last two games.
Boston cracked Vladar in the opening minute of the third period when Pavel Zacha scored a power play goal. Carl Grundstrom was in the penalty box for interference toward the end of the season period.
Bruins netminder Joonas Korpisalo stopped 29 of the Flyers’ 31 shots.
Dvorak struck just 4:19 minutes into the game. Martone sprung him with a crafty touch pass. The 19-year-old winger has not played like a teenager since signing his entry-level deal. He looks like he belongs.
Martone had a couple of looks with under five minutes left in regulation, but he couldn’t beat Korpisalo. Not long after denying Martone twice, Korpisalo turned away Tyson Foerster at the doorstep.
But Martone got Korpisalo in OT.
• The Flyers are back in action Tuesday when they visit the Devils (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).
The university announced Oats signed a new contract on Sunday, April 5, making him one of the top five highest-paid coaches in college basketball, per a statement from athletic director Greg Byrne.
The new contract was announced via Yea Alabama, the school's name, image and likeness platform.
"Nate Oats has signed a new contract that will make him one of the top five compensated men's basketball coaches in the country," Byrne said in the announcement. "Appropriate members of the board of trustees have been notified of the proposed terms of the new agreement and it will soon be formally approved through the board process."
The move comes after Oats was tied to North Carolina's open coaching position. The blue-blood program fired coach Hubert Davis after its first-round loss to Virginia Commonwealth in the Men's NCAA Tournament, and has been tied to numerous high-end coaches such as Oats, Michigan coach Dusty May and Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd, who also signed an extension on Friday, April 3.
The announcement didn't include details regarding Oats' salary, though it stands to be a substantial raise from his old agreement, which was signed in 2024 after Oats led Alabama to its first-ever Final Four appearance.
According to USA TODAY's coaching salaries database, Oats was the 10th highest-paid basketball coach among programs at public institutions in 2025-26, making roughly $5 million. He was set to receive $7.75 million in the final year of the deal that ran through 2030.
The fifth highest-paid coach is UCLA's Mick Cronin, who made $6.1 million, while Kansas' Bill Self was the highest paid at $8.8 million.
Nate Oats record at Alabama
Oats has taken Alabama to new heights since being hired from Buffalo in 2019, accumulating a 170-73 record in seven seasons at the helm. He has taken the program to five Sweet 16s, making four in a row, and has the most NCAA Tournament wins in program history (13).
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - APRIL 03: Ronald Acuña Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves hits the ball against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on April 03, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Happy Easter to all who celebrate!
We are back with Sunday baseball on the West Coast, as the Braves take on the Diamondbacks for the series finale, hoping to secure the win.
Martín Pérez is taking the hill for his first career start with the Braves, with a solid squad behind him to handle offense.
Ronald Acuña Jr. has yet to go yard this season, with only one run accounted for. Maybe this time, leading off as the designated hitter will produce different results, as hitting will be his primary focus, eliminating the field work for the day. Eli White is taking over that area in right field and batting ahead of Jorge Mateo, who’s set to occupy shortstop. Mike Yastrzemski is moving up to the fourth slot, and Michael Harris II is following behind at fifth.
Mauricio Dubón is also making a return and taking over third base, giving Austin Riley, who’s been producing a .497 OPS lately, the day off.
The first three slots have stayed consistent throughout the series, with some shifts in the remaining holes. Carlos Santana has returned to occupy first base, moving Jose Fernandez—a Dbacks fan-favorite— over to DH and batting fifth in the lineup. Tim Tawa and James McCann, who were absent from yesterday’s start, are also making a return to close out the series, with Brandon Pfaadt hoping to improve his start as he takes the mound.
The Braves are looking to secure their third consecutive series win, while the Diamondbacks are going for the split before both teams hit the road. Let’s see how the chips fall in this finale.
The banged-up Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks square off tonight, two nights removed from NBA Rookie of the Year favorite Cooper Flagg’s 51-point outburst against Orlando.
We’ve looked at the stats, the betting data, as well as our Covers projection model to see where the market missed the mark.
The Mavericks' interior defense is a sieve, and Hachimura attacks the paint effectively. Expect an uptick in his usage and finishing opportunities tonight against a vulnerable front court.
span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet Hachimura Now at bet365!/span
Lebron James Over 1.5 made threes (-125)
Projection: 2.0 made threes
LeBron James has been cold from 3-point range lately, but he continues to launch as many as four attempts per night.
The Los Angeles Lakers legend may catch a break against the Mavericks, who have allowed the 27th most made threes per game over their last 10 contests.
span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet James Now at bet365!/span
Jake LaRavia Over 4.5 rebounds (-150)
Projection: 5.7 rebounds
Jake LaRavia has seen an uptick in minutes since Luka Doncic hit the IR, and he’s made the most of his time, pulling down at least seven boards in his previous two games.
Dallas ranks 26th in the NBA in opponent rebounds in their past 10 contests, and won’t have enough size to handle LaRavia.
span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet Laravia Now at bet365!/span
Mavericks computer picks
Max Christie Over 9.5 points (-120)
Projection: 10.7 points
Dallas guard Max Christie has been in a scoring slump but seems to have turned things around after scoring 14 points against Orlando.
Christie should have ample opportunities to score tonight, as he won’t have to deal with Austin Reaves defending him.
span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet Christie Now at bet365!/span
Max Christie Over 2.5 rebounds (+100)
Projection: 3.1 rebounds
Christie may be in a scoring slump, but he’s been a sneaky rebounder and has snatched at least three boards in four straight games.
The Dallas guard should grab at least three tonight, as he won’t have to worry about the handsy Reaves or Bronny James slowing him down.
span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet Christie Now at bet365!/span
Cooper Flagg Under 24.5 points (-105)
Projection: 22.5 points
Cooper Flagg is coming off a 51-point explosion against the Magic, but this Lakers defense is a tough test.
Before that outburst, Flagg stayed Under his scoring prop in five of eight games. Expect the Lakers to slow him down again, making the Under our play tonight.
span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet Flagg Now at bet365!/span
How to watch Lakers vs Mavericks tonight
Location
American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
Date
Sunday, April 5, 2026
Tip-off
7:30 p.m. ET
TV
Peacock
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TORONTO, ON - MARCH 30: Colorado Rockies Starting Pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano (11) throws a pitch during the MLB regular season game between the Colorado Rockies and the Toronto Blue Jays on March 30, 2026, at Rogers Centre in Toronto, ON, Canada. (Photo by Julian Avram/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
After a blowout loss on their Home Opener and yet another one-run loss last night, the Colorado Rockies stand just one game away from being swept at home by the Philadelphia Phillies. Believe it or not, the problem hasn’t been the pitching. Only two of the Rockies’ seven losses this season have been by more than one run and only one has been in blowout fashion.
The problem instead lies in the offense. The Rockies have scored just five total runs in their last four games, and in that time they’ve scored more than one run just once. They’re striking out more than 11 times per game on average, have the fewest walks in the league, have homered just five times, and are tied for having the second-fewest runs in baseball.
Tomoyuki Sugano will take the mound this afternoon, looking to keep the train of pitching positivity alive and hoping his Coors Field debut goes better than Michael Lorenzen’s did on Friday. Sugano looked excellent in his Rockies debut against Toronto last week, where he worked 4.2 innings and gave up just one earned run on two hits and two walks. The lone run came via a solo home run—those will happen with Sugano—but he also struck out four batters.
Making the start for the Phillies is the right-handed Taijuan Walker. Walker struggled in his first outing of the year against the Washington Nationals, giving up seven runs—six earned—on ten hits and three walks over 4.2 innings. However, Walker has also been historically successful against the Rockies. In ten career starts against the Rockies he holds an ERA of just 2.36 over 61 innings and has given up just five home runs. This season Walker is utilizing a six pitch mix consisting of a slider, a cutter, a sinker, a curveball, a four-seam fastball, and a primary split-finger.
Apr 4, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) defends on San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) in overtime at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Coming off a blowout win against the Los Angeles Clippers, the Spurs traveled to Denver for their last road game of the regular season. Victor Wembanyama returned from injury management. Both teams started the game blazing from the field, with the Spurs outscoring the Nuggets 43-36 in the first quarter. The pace continued in the second, as the Spurs took a seven-point lead into halftime. Denver chipped away at the Spurs’ lead in the third, and the lead shrank to four to start the fourth. The Spurs were in a great position to close out the game multiple times late in the fourth.
With 1:39 remaining, the Spurs held a six-point lead. Then, Cam Johnson drained a three while being fouled by De’Aaron Fox to cut the lead back to two. After an alley-oop dunk by Devin Vassell, the lead grew back to four. However, after two Nikola Jokic free throws, the Spurs had a chance to clinch the game on their next offensive possession. After draining the clock, Fox missed a three-pointer, and the Nuggets called a timeout. Aaron Gordon tied the game with a dunk, and the Spurs had yet another chance to close out the game with a victory. Wemby put up a tough fallaway shot that grazed the rim, and the game went to OT. After some back-and-forth buckets, the Spurs had a chance to tie the game late. After Wemby stole the ball from Jamal Murray, Fox led the fastbreak. He then threw an errant pass to a cutting Vassell but quickly recovered the ball. Unfortunately, he missed a wide-open short jumper, and the Nuggets were fouled on the rebound. The Nuggets ultimately won 136-134 in OT.
Victor Wembanyama returned and dropped another MVP-type performance: 34 points (16-17 FT), 18 rebounds, seven assists, five blocks, and a steal. Wemby shot just under 50% from the game, but made up for it at the free-throw line. He dominated the paint defensively, aside from Jokic draining impossible jumpers. Wemby battled a contender and did not blink. In his last three games, he is averaging 38.7 points per game, 17.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 3.7 blocks. If it wasn’t for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic having MVP seasons in their own right, Wemby would be the favorite. Look for him to use this game as fuel for his confidence heading into his first playoffs.
UFO APPROACHING! Stephon Castle finds a cutting Wemby on the alley-oop slam for the AREA 51 connection!
Another drive, another dime! Wemby drives in on Tim Hardaway Jr., attempts a fadeaway, but then changes his mind at the last second for a tough reverse layup for HB!
Stephon Castle dropped 20 points (9-17 FG), nine assists, and five rebounds. Steph started the game guarding Murray, but after picking up two quick fouls, Mitch Johnson had him guard Christian Braun instead. The result: a career-high five threes on a career-high 11 attempts. Granted, Steph wasn’t responsible for all of the open threes, but regardless, it was not his usual defensive game. Nonetheless, Steph nearly garnered a double-double and drained middies, and earned tough and-one opportunities.
AND-ONE JUMPER! Steph absorbs the contact from Gordon and drains the midrange jumper for the and-one!
Devin Vassell dropped 18 points, five rebounds, two assists, and a block. Dev started the game with a laser three and dropped clutch buckets to end the fourth. Although, like Steph, he would sometimes lose track of Denver’s open shooters. He still stepped up when the team needed an offensive spark, which is exactly what this team needs heading towards the postseason.
Julian Champagnie dropped 18 points (6-9 3PT), five rebounds, and two assists. Julian was on fire from three. Denver decided to have Jokic covering him, which in turn allowed Julian to take open threes and allowed him to drive past him to the cup. Unfortunately, some of those drives turned into missed shots and a blocked dunk. Nonetheless, Julian eclipsed Danny Green for the franchise record for most threes in a season for the Spurs with 192!
All in all, this game was much needed for the Spurs. Whether they won or lost, it is important for this young team to encounter a contender right before the playoffs start. The game itself felt like a playoff game, where every single shot or mistake changed the outcome late. Everything is magnified in a hostile environment, and while some players stepped up, some faltered. For example, Keldon Johnson, Castle, and Fox all shot a combined 0-16 from three. Luckily, that is not likely to happen again. The perimeter defense will have to step up as the teams get tougher. With one week remaining in the regular season, the Spurs will look to close the season on a high note, with a rematch against the Nuggets on April 12th.
Finally, here are the full game highlights.
The Spurs return home to face the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday at 7:00 P.M. (CST) on FDSN-SW.
The Astros put Brown on the injured list on Sunday, April 5 with a shoulder strain.
Brown, the Astros' opening day starter, had only allowed a total of one earned run in his first two starts of the season with 17 strikeouts and six walks.
The move was retroactive to April 2, so it's possible he could have sustained the injury during a bullpen session between starts. Brown would have been lined up to make his next start on Sunday against the Athletics in Sacramento.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MARCH 31: A fan dressed as an Easter bunny reacts during the seventh inning between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park on March 31, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Happy Easter!
In addition to candy, the Phillies are hoping the bunny gives them a sweep as they conclude their series against the Colorado Rockies on Sunday afternoon.
They’ll hope that Taijuan Walker can do better in his second start of the season after a rough outing against the Nationals. He oddly has good career numbers at Coors Field.
The Cleveland Cavaliers will look to get closer to clinching a top-four playoff seed as they host the Indiana Pacers tonight.
Cleveland and Indiana have both been playing to big scores in recent games, and I’m taking the Over to hit again tonight in my Pacers vs. Cavaliers predictions below.
Let’s look at the full breakdown of tonight’s matchup as I share my free NBA picks for Sunday, April 5.
Pacers vs Cavaliers prediction
Pacers vs Cavaliers best bet: Over 239 (-110)
The Indiana Pacers have been bad at just about everything this season, but their biggest failures have come on defense. Indiana is allowing 120.8 points per game with a defensive efficiency of 116.2, both of which rank among the Bottom 5 in the NBA.
That already had Indiana leaning toward the Over, but the Pacers have added to that trend by finding some offensive spark in recent weeks. Over their last eight games, they are averaging 124.6 PPG, a total that would make them the league's best offensive team if they had maintained that level all year.
A Top-10 pace means both Indiana and its opponents have plenty of possessions, resulting in frequent Overs.
At 119.3 PPG, the Cleveland Cavaliers have one of the most prolific offenses in the NBA. They're shooting 48% from the field and will likely do even better against the Pacers, who are allowing opponents to hit 49.1% of their shots.Donovan Mitchell (27.7 PPG) and James Harden (20.2 PPG) have this offense humming, with Cleveland hitting the Over in three of its last four games.
These trends are all likely to continue tonight. The Pacers may suffer a bit with the loss of Pascal Siakam, but that’s going to hurt them on both sides of the ball, meaning Cleveland’s offense can pick up any slack if Indiana struggles.
I’m expecting a fast-paced game that will bring home the Over.
Pacers vs Cavaliers same-game parlay
Along with taking the Over tonight, I’ll be looking at Cleveland’s Max Strus to continue his recent run of strong play for our parlay. Strus has averaged 18.8 PPG and five made threes over his last four games. Given the expectation of a high-scoring game — and the likelihood that the Cavaliers will be on the winning side — Strus has every opportunity to hit the Over on both his points and threes made props tonight.
Pacers vs Cavaliers SGP
Over 239
Max Strus Over 3.5 made threes
Our "from downtown" SGP: Cleveland rocks
For our long-shot SGP tonight, I’m going to look at a few different Cleveland props that will come together in this game.
That starts with taking James Harden to pick up his 21st double-double of the season. I also like Dennis Schroder to hit his assists total, as he’s averaging 4.8 assists per game on the year and dished out six against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday.
Finally, let’s back Donovan Mitchell to get Over 4.5 rebounds, a total that’s right at his season average (4.5) and should be boosted against an Indiana team that ranks second-last in the NBA in rebound rate.
The Over is 9-1 in Indiana’s last 10 games overall. Find more NBA betting trends for Pacers vs. Cavaliers.
How to watch Pacers vs Cavaliers
Location
Rocket Arena, Cleveland, OH
Date
Sunday, April 5, 2026
Tip-off
6:00 p.m. ET
TV
FDSN Indiana, FDSN Ohio
Pacers vs Cavaliers latest injuries
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At one point, Kopitar was asked if there were a time in his career when he thought he wouldn't be a King.
"Honestly, I didn't, no," Los Angeles' captain said confidently. "I felt like L.A. was my team, it's where I belong, and it didn't really cross my mind to where I'd go somewhere else."
While Kopitar admitted he wouldn't want his career to pan out any other way in terms of what his home has been for the past 20 years, he played the hypothetical game.
"(If) I really have to pick… probably Montreal," he admitted to Friedman. "I don't know, I just enjoy the city, I enjoyed playing there. Yeah, if I had to pick one, it'd probably be the Canadiens."
While it's not possible for Kopitar to switch teams at this point in the season - nor would he even entertain the idea - but he'd be a great fit for the Habs right about now.
Jake Evans and Anze Kopitar (Eric Bolte-Imagn Images)
The Canadiens are doing just fine as they're second in the Atlantic Division and are hovering around being a top-five team in the NHL at this stage of the season. But one weakness they have is the hole on the second line at the center position.
It would be fun for Habs fans to fantasize about having the Kings' all-time point scorer on their roster, but Kopitar wouldn't trade his time in Los Angeles for anything else.
And because he knows he's calling it quits at the end of this season, why not play around with some hypothetical scenarios as he looks back on his incredible NHL career?
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