LAS VEGAS (AP) — Mitch Marner broke a third-period tie and the Vegas Golden Knights won the Pacific Division for the fifth time in their nine-year history, beating the Seattle Kraken 4-1 on Wednesday night to close the regular season.
Two points ahead of Edmonton entering the night, Vegas needed only a point to win the Pacific and set up a first-round series against Utah. Edmonton will finish play Thursday night at home against Vancouver.
Reilly Smith had two late goals, Shea Theodore also scored and Carter Hart made 22 saves to help Vegas win its third straight. The Golden Knights finished 39-26-17, going 7-0-1 since John Tortorella took over as coach for the fired Bruce Cassidy.
Shane Wright scored for Seattle, and Nikke Kokko stopped 22 shots. The Kraken have lost two straight to fall to 34-36-11 with a game left Thursday night at Colorado.
Marner gave Vegas a 2-1 lead at 1:23 of the third. Off a faceoff, defenseman Brayden McNabb took a long, straightaway shot that Marner tipped in for his 24th goal of the season.
Theodore tied it with 2:25 left in the second. The defenseman got the puck at the right point off a faceoff, moved to the top of the circle and fired a wrist shot past Kokko's glove.
Wright opened the scoring at 2:24 of the second after missing the previous eight games because of an upper-body injury.
Golden Knights captain Mark Stone played his 400th game for the franchise.
Up next
Kraken: At Colorado on Thursday night.
Golden Knights: Host Utah in the first round of the playoffs.
New York Yankees pitcher Brent Headrick (47) throws a pitch during the 8th inning when the New York Yankees played the Los Angeles Angels Wednesday, April 15, 2026 at Yankee Stadium.
Right now, the pace is unsustainable. Incomprehensible, even, when considering the scope of a full season.
Brent Headrick, one of the left-handed relievers in the Yankees’ bullpen, has already pitched in 12 of their first 18 games to start the season, putting him on pace to tie the MLB record of 108 that the Dodgers’ Mike Marshall set in 1974. That won’t happen.
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The Yankees’ early schedule, with days off worked in, helped space Headrick’s availability, but the 28-year-old has also flashed durability that he thinks will be replicable for the games he ends up pitching in — even with it being his first full season as a true one-inning reliever.
He sits first in the majors in appearances by a reliever and entered play Wednesday eighth in strikeouts (12), and after a spring training where Headrick received plenty of praise from manager Aaron Boone, he has delivered promising early returns.
“You’re not gonna be 100 percent every night, but just being the best version of yourself each night that you can,” Headrick told The Post before the Yankees’ 5-4 win over the Angels, where Headrick tossed a scoreless eighth and lowered his ERA to 1.74. “We prepared for this. We prepared to pitch one inning, like I said, multiple days a week and things like that — and one-plus even if I need to. So I think we’re ready for it.”
Headrick doesn’t have a goal for how many games he wants to pitch this season.
Brent Headrick throws a pitch during the eighth inning of the Yankees’ 5-4 comeback win over the the Angels on April 15, 2026 at the Stadium Robert Sabo for NY Post
He threw 108 ¹/₃ innings as a starter in 2022, so innings wouldn’t be a concern — but rather an ability to bounce back health-wise from one outing to the next.
Headrick struggled a bit with that last year when shifting from the rotation to the bullpen, Boone said, but he already noticed an improvement.
His season opened with eight consecutive scoreless appearances across seven innings, and after allowing runs during his next two cameos, Headrick rebounded with a scoreless frame Tuesday.
Headrick has now thrown four back-to-backs during the first three weeks of the season, too.
“Brent’s been excellent,” Boone said. “He’s been one of those guys that kind of has grabbed a key role down there and been real consistent.”
In a Yankees bullpen still filled with plenty of questions, Headrick has a chance to keep carving out a significant role. He’ll need to avoid fatigue with the mounting workload. He’ll need to navigate any growing pains that inevitably pop up when hitters adjust to his two-seam fastball — which he’s throwing more to lefties and righties this year, he said — and his four-seam fastball, while mixing in his slider and his new splitter.
Brent Headrick throws a pitch during the eighth inning of the Yankees’ comeback win over the Angels. Robert Sabo for NY Post
But after the first chunk of the season, he already has a foundation to work with — even if it’s an unfeasible pace for the marathon ahead.
“It’s a long season,” Headrick said. “I just try to stay as neutral as I can with everything, and just try to go out there and do my job and execute. Because I know that when I’m at my best, I can do that.”
Sam Antonacci went 1-for-3 with a walk and run scored in his major league debut. | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
Tonight’s game felt almost like déjà vu from Tuesday. The Rays (10-7) once again put up eight runs while a prominent Chicago prospect made their major league debut, dealing the White Sox (6-12) back-to-back losses, 8-3.
Righthander Sean Burke was doing all right through four innings despite giving up a solo shot to Junior Caminero in the third, but the righthander had zero run support and started to fall apart in the fifth. Two hits in a row from Tampa Bay to begin the fifth kick-started their offense, with Caminero driving in his second run on an RBI ground out and Jonathan Aranda following that up with an RBI double to make it 3-0, Rays.
Attempting to come out for one final inning, Burke was unable to get it done and conceded a fourth run to Tampa on a leadoff home run from Jake Fraley to start the sixth. Burke was able to work around Cedric Mullins, but Richie Palacios’ base hit marked the end of the road. Until tonight, Sean hadn’t surrendered a single home run this year, and doing so ballooned his 3.60 ERA up to 4.43. Burke clearly didn’t have his A-game tonight, and his 17% CSW% (called strike plus whiff rate) was much lower than his previous two outings (averaging around 30%).
Notably, Burke’s fastball CSW% was only at 15% tonight, whereas in his previous start his fastball drew 13 called strikes + whiffs (35% CSW%), and a 44% CSW% from his April 3 outing. Burke ultimately allowed four runs on seven hits, and walked one more batter (three) than he struck out (two). At the very least, his average four-seam velocity was right in line with his 94 mph average, so hopefully it was just one of those days.
In for Sean, but not faring much better, was lefthander Tyler Gilbert, who was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte earlier today as Brandon Eisert was shuttled back down. This was Gilbert’s second appearance with the MLB squad this season, and just like Burke he surrendered four runs on two hits: a Yandi Díaz RBI double and a pinch-hit, three-run blast from Jonny DeLuca as a part of the Rays’ four-run seventh inning that made it 8-0.
It only took eight innings for a White Sox pitcher to make it through a frame unscathed — thank you, Bryan Hudson. Appearing in back-to-back games, Hudson put together a second consecutive clean inning tonight.
You’ll notice that I’ve only talked about pitching thus far, and that’s because up until the bottom of the ninth, there wasn’t much life coming from the South Side bats. Righthander Cole Sulser opened the game for the Rays and shut the Sox down for two innings before our old pal Jesse Scholtens took over for the next five. Scholtens ended up with the win in his one-hit outing against his former team, walking two and striking out three.
The Good Guys had posted just five hits and were facing an eight-run deficit through eight stanzas, and ended up waving the white flag given the starting catcher ended up pitching the last inning. Reese McGuire navigated a 1-2-3 inning, joining Hudson as the only other effective pitcher the White Sox used tonight, which is honestly kind of sad.
One of the (very few) positive offensive notes was that Sam Antonacci got a hit in his first major league at-bat — welcome to the show, Sam.
Antonacci also reached base a second time to start the ninth and ended up scoring for the first time as a White Sox. Rays reliever Ian Seymour began the ninth by walking both him and Tanner Murray. Derek Hill drove a base hit out to left to load the bases up for the Good Guys with nobody out; it finally seemed like they were getting something going, far too late. Antonacci crossed the plate on a wild pitch, which felt fitting. McGuire, the new star White Sox pitcher, yanked a single to drive in their second run of the game, 8-2.
Luisangel Acuña came up in another clutch situation and actually put up a decent at-bat, fouling off a few pitches and working a full count before grounding into a double play. Whomp whomp. A third run did score on the play, but going from zero to two outs with one pitch killed the momentum, and Andrew Benintendi struck out on three straight pitches to end the game.
Looking at the box score, the White Sox were outhit just 9-7, and going 2-for-6 with runners in scoring position doesn’t seem too bad. But they had just five hits and couldn’t convert a single run through eight frames, also leaving seven on base. On top of that, they struck out six times as a team, with four of them coming from Colson Montgomery in the cleanup spot — woof.
It was a rough showing from the Good Guys these last two games, given the mental gaffes, poor defense and lack of offensive production. Regardless of how the pitching does, they aren’t going to be able to win games without scoring runs. As Ozzie Guillén pointed out in the postgame show, the White Sox have seven players batting below .200, which is borderline horrific.
It would also be really nice if they started scoring runs earlier in the game rather than waiting until the very last minute to start stringing some hits together. The series finale will take place Thursday at 1:10 p.m., with lefthander Anthony Kay on the mound. Let’s hope the offense can wake up before then.
Jon Kemmer, a former minor leaguer who played with the Astros, Twins and Dodgers, died over the weekend after getting into a rollover crash while returning home from coaching a youth baseball tournament, according to multiple reports.
He was 35.
Explore Jefferson, citing the Galveston County Medical Examiner’s Office in Texas, reported that Kemmer, while coming back from coaching the 14U HTX Battle Bucks at a tournament in Houston, was traveling on Farm to Market Road 2004 when his car left the road, struck an electrical pole and rolled over at about 6:09 p.m. local time.
He died on the scene.
Jon Kemmer of the Astros runs to first base after hitting the ball against the Cardinals in the fourth inning during a spring training game at Roger Dean Stadium on March 13, 2017 in Jupiter, Fla. Getty Images
“We are deeply saddened to hear of the tragic passing of Jon Kemmer over the weekend,” the Astros said in a statement Wednesday, according to Chron.com. “Jon was drafted by the Astros in 2013 and developed into one of the organization’s most productive players, advancing to the Triple A level and also appearing in several Spring Training games. Our thoughts and prayers are with Jon’s family and friends during this very difficult time.”
A standout player at Clarion High School in Pennsylvania, Kemmer, primarily an outfielder, played college baseball at Allegany College of Maryland, Clarion University and Brewton-Parker College before getting selected in the 21st round of the 2013 MLB Draft by the Astros.
He spent the first four years of his career with the Astros organization, making it all the way to Triple-A.
His 2015 season with Double-A Corpus Christi proved to be his most fruitful, as he received multiple honors, including winning Texas League Player of the Month for August and getting named a postseason All-Star.
Kemmer was traded to the Twins in 2018 and later spent time in the Dodgers organization in 2019, the same year he also played in the Mexican League.
Jon Kemmer of the Houston Astros poses for a portrait at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches on February 21, 2018 in West Palm Beach, Florida. Getty Images
He later played in the Dominican Winter League during the 2020-21 campaign.
He finished his minor league career with 116 home runs and a .283/.366/.509 slash line.
CHICAGO - The Chicago Blackhawks hosted their season finale at the United Center by welcoming the San Jose Sharks. Neither team is going to the playoffs, but there is always going to be hype around a Connor Bedard vs Macklin Celebrini matchup.
Before the game began, the Blackhawks announced an extension for General Manager Kyle Davidson. Danny Wirtz made it known while on CHSN's Blackhawks pregame show.
The game had a rough start for the Blackhawks. They were outshot 7-3, hardly had the puck, and didn't do much when they did. It took them over half the period to even get one shot on goal.
They were fortunate to only be down 1-0. At 5:17 of the second period, Michael Misa scored a power play goal to make it 2-0 Sharks. From there, however, the Blackhawks started to play much better. In fact, they played better from that point on than they did at any point in the prior two weeks.
With just 30 seconds remaining in the second period, Sam Rinzel put his team within one. His seeing-eye shot found its way through Yaroslav Askarov, and the Blackhawks cut their deficit in half going into the second intermission.
In the third period, the Blackhawks scored four straight goals courtesy of Louis Crevier (twice), Ryan Greene, and Nick Lardis. That 5-2 score held as the final.
The Blackhawks end their 2025-26 season with a record of 29-39-14 for 72 points, which is an 11-point improvement from a year ago.
Louis Crevier deserves the extra individual credit on this night. Not only did he have the two goals, but his defensive work against some elite players was noticeable. On the penalty kill, he was blocking shots, getting in the way of passes, and using his big frame to his advantage.
Macklin Celebrini didn't have a point. The Sharks only have two wins when he doesn't find the scoresheet all year, so shutting him down played a key role in the win. Louis Crevier's pair with Alex Vlasic played flawlessly against his line.
It took some time for the Blackhawks to get going in this game, but they dug deep and pulled one out in front of their home fans one last time.
The Chicago Blackhawks’ season is now over. Ahead for them is another off-season of building for the future. The Blackhawks have the second best odds at winning the lottery, which will take place on May 5th, 2026.
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ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 11: Martín Pérez #33 and Jonah Heim #20 of the Atlanta Braves converse in the second inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Truist Park on April 11, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Braves are cruising to start this season, with the second best record in MLB and the best run differential (pending the Dodgers game tonight). While there’s been some good fortune on the pitching side, there has also been some uncharacteristic underperformance from Chris Sale and some bad luck from a few of Atlanta’s bats. Dominic Smith is unlikely to be Aaron Judge all year, but on the whole this feels in the realm of sustainable, especially with reinforcements coming over the coming weeks and months. It would be especially useful if a few of Schwellenbach, Smith-Shawver, and Waldrep could come up and be productive, perhaps giving the team and opportunity to bump Grant Holmes and/or Reynaldo Lopez into an impact reliever spot. For now though, let’s just enjoy the team being in a good spot 10% of the way into the season, a stark contrast from last year.
Hornets star LaMelo Ball was fined $35K for his Flagrant 2 foul on Bam Adebayo during Tuesday night’s win over the Heat in the NBA play-in tournament.
The incident happened in the second quarter when Ball fell to the floor after taking a shot and swiped at the leg of Adebayo, causing the Heat big man to fall hard to the court and leave the game with a lower back issue.
In the moment, the play was not called a foul, but the league reviewed the play and assessed a Flagrant 2 foul for “making unnecessary and reckless contact” with Adebayo that “created significant injury risk.”
The Heat’s Bam Adebayo was injured in the team’s play-in game against the Hornets. Screenshot
Adebayo did not return to the game after the incident and the Heat lost the game in overtime 127-126.
Ball was also hit with a $25,000 fine by the NBA for the use of profane language during a live interview on TV after the game.
“I didn’t see it, but I don’t think it’s cute,” Spoelstra told reporters. “I don’t think it’s funny. I think it’s a stupid play. It’s a dangerous play. Obviously, our best player was out.
“I’m not making an excuse. The Hornets played great and they made those plays down the stretch. We had our opportunities to win. That’s a shame.”
Ball also addressed the incident after the game, apologizing for the play.
“I got hit in the head and didn’t really know where I was, but I’m going to check on [Adebayo] and see if he’s OK,” he said.
Bam Adebayo lies on the court and was forced to leave the game with a lower back issue during the first half of the Heat’s loss to the Hornets in an NBA play-in tournament game on April 14, 2026 in Charlotte, N.C. AP
Ball finished the game with 30 points and hit the game-winning layup for the Hornets in overtime with just seconds left on the clock.
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 04: Tyler Glasnow #31 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on April 04, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After an off day Thursday, the Dodgers open a four-game weekend wraparound against the Colorado Rockies starting Friday night at Coors Field in Denver.
Tyler Glasnow takes the ball in the series opener on Friday. Right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano will be on the mound for Colorado.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Referee Ben Taylor left the play-in tournament game between the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Clippers with an injury on Wednesday night.
Taylor walked stiffly off the court and went up the tunnel behind one basket at Intuit Dome with 8:51 left in the third quarter. He was replaced by alternate referee Sean Corbin after a brief delay.
The NBA sends a fourth alternate referee to every postseason game for exactly such a situation.
Taylor is an 11-year NBA veteran referee, while Corbin is in his 31st season on the job.
The ninth-seeded Clippers led the 10th-seeded Warriors 61-53 at halftime of the elimination game.
LOS ANGELES — Mets outfield depth has turned shallow since the latter part of spring training.
Jared Young is the latest casualty.
Young was placed on the injured list Wednesday with a meniscus tear in his left knee, becoming the third Mets outfielder sidelined by injury. Young is scheduled to undergo surgery Thursday, with a return to play set for six to eight weeks.
Juan Soto is on the IL with a right calf strain, and Mike Tauchman underwent surgery for a meniscus tear in spring training. Tauchman’s injury created the opening for Young to stick with the team.
Jared Young bunts for a hit during the Mets’ loss to the A’s on April 10, 2026 at Citi Field. Robert Sabo for New York Post
The Mets recalled MJ Melendez from Triple-A Syracuse to fill Young’s spot. Melendez went 2-for-4 with an RBI double in the Mets’ 8-2 blowout loss to the Dodgers on Wednesday night.
Young, who also saw action at first base, owned a .350/.391/.450 slash line in 23 plate appearances.
He also provided a left-handed bat off the bench.
“There not only was going to be playing time for him, but he was giving us some good at-bats from the left side,” manager Carlos Mendoza said before the Mets faced the Dodgers on Wednesday night. “It’s a big blow, but guys will step up.”
Melendez signed with the team at the start of spring training, but was optioned to Syracuse late in camp.
The Mets later signed veteran outfielder Tommy Pham to a minor league contract and selected him to the major league roster Monday.
Jorge Polanco was absent from the starting lineup and could face an IL stint as soon as Friday, according to Mendoza, as he deals with bursitis in his right Achilles.
With Polanco sidelined, Melendez was inserted as the DH with Pham in left field.
Soto continued a running progression and took at-bats against minor league pitching at Citi Field.
The goal, according to Mendoza, is to get Soto back in the lineup during the next homestand. Soto last played for the Mets on April 3.
Luis García was released by the Mets. The veteran reliever was designated for assignment by the club last weekend.
Huascar Brazobán had not allowed an earned run over 11 multi-inning appearances since last season entering Wednesday.
The right-handed reliever had not allowed a run over 8 ¹/₃ innings this season, tying him for fifth in scoreless streaks among MLB relievers.
The Mets’ offensive stats were ugly even before they suffered their eighth consecutive loss.
During their previous seven losses as play began Wednesday, the Mets had a .178/.211/.258 slash line from their lineup.
Opponents outscored the Mets 36-10 in those seven games. Six of the Mets’ runs during that stretch were scored in one game, against the Athletics on Saturday at Citi Field.
They’re the Eastern Conference’s No. 7 seed and will play the No. 2 Celtics in the first round.
“They’re playing great,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said of Boston. “They’ve played really great all season. They’ve got a core group of guys that have been together for a long time through a lot of winning and a lot of deep runs. Tremendous, tremendous challenge for us, but we’ll see if we can go figure something out between now and Sunday.”
As Nurse noted, Game 1 is scheduled for Sunday afternoon at TD Garden. Below is the full schedule for the best-of-seven series. Start times for Games 5 through 7 will be released later if they’re necessary:
Game 1: Sunday, April 19 at Boston at 1 p.m. ET on ABC
Game 2: Tuesday, April 21 at Boston at 7 p.m. ET on Peacock/NBCSN
Game 3: Friday, April 24 at Philadelphia at 7 p.m. ET on Amazon Prime
Game 4: Sunday, April 26 at Philadelphia at 7 p.m. ET on NBC
Even with six-time All-Star Jayson Tatum out until March as he recovered from a ruptured Achilles tendon, the Celtics went 56-26 this season and finished 11 games above the Sixers in the standings.
“They’re a battle-tested team,” Kellly Oubre Jr. said. “They’re at full strength now, so this is a matchup we obviously don’t take lightly. We’ve got to go in there and just play all-out for 48 minutes each and every game. … Just got to take this momentum and carry it forward.”
The Sixers will aim for their first playoff series win against the Celtics since 1982. They lost series in 1985, 2002, 2012, 2018, 2020 and 2023.
Apr 15, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Seattle Mariners designated hitter Dominic Canzone hits an RBI double during the second inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. All MLB players are wearing number 42 today to honor Jackie Robinson. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
CINCINNATI, OHIO - APRIL 15: Sal Stewart #27 of the Cincinnati Reds is congratulated by Elly de la Cruz #44 and Matt McLain #9 after hitting a three-run home run during the second inning of the game against the San Francisco Giants at Great American Ball Park on April 15, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. All players are wearing the number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The older you get, the easier it is to think four, five years ago wasn’t ancient history. I still have the same phone, same laptop from 2022, for instance – the same desk chair, car, house, backpack. But watching Wednesday evening’s contest in Great American Ball Park between the Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants was enough to make one realize just how long ago the promise of the early 2020s Reds really was.
Tyler Mahle, who was dealt during the 2022 teardown to Minnesota for the likes of Spencer Steer and Christian Encarnacion-Strand, was back on the mound in GABP to face the Reds. He was doing so as a Giant after he’d been a Twin and Texas Ranger in between, a nomadic post-Reds trip that shows just how fickle the business of baseball can be once injuries begin to tear away at your fabric.
Mahle was the vet in this one, the one whose velocity is down and pitch-mix is new as he works to figure out how to pitch once rearing back for a couple extra miles per hour isn’t in the cards any more. Sharing the mound with him was Rhett Lowder, who was a 19 year old pitching for the Strasburg Express in the Valley League of collegiate summer ball during the same 2021 season when Mahle posted career-bests in bWAR (4.9) and IP (180.0) with the Reds.
And it was Lowder who was in command.
Cincinnati’s righty exited after going 6.2 IP, his longest outing yet in the big leagues. He’d allowed 2 ER while on the bump, though Brock Burke did allow one inherited run to score once taking over in the 7th. It was an effective, efficient 90 pitch outing for Rhett, who limited hard contact for the most part and threw all of his pitches all over the strike zone.
The same could not be said for Mahle, however. He spiked a handful of balls in the dirt, walked 5 batters in his 4.0 laborious IP, and left enough pitches over the heart of the plate for the Reds to not just homer four times off him, but post some tape measure shots in the process.
Neither of the 3-run blasts by Sal Stewart were tape measure, truly, as both only flew into the first few rows of GABP’s small confines. Still, they were lasers off the bat on pitches not exactly right down the pipe, both coming on swings where Stewart’s elite combination of hand-eye coordination and reaction time allows him to put his own unique swing on each pitcher’s pitch and still find ways to barrel them. Both were also to right-center, in case anyone’s worried whether or not he’s a step-in-the-bucket rookie who’s just thriving on pulling the ball.
(He’s tonight’s Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game, by the way. He was a senior in high school down in Florida during Mahle’s brilliant 2021.)
Similarly, Eugenio Suarez (3 for 4, HR, R, RBI) poked a slider the other way for a homer on a pitch Mahle left up, a good piece of hitting as opposed to just running into one that missed in a hot zone.
Elly De La Cruz, though, hit the snot out of one. He launched a 442 foot homer to straightaway CF off Mahle, a true tape measure shot from the left-side of the plate as he reminded us that, despite recent success hitting righty, it’s him hittin’ lefty that’s the show-stopper.
All told, it was a brilliant night of baseball for the Reds, who won 8-3 and moved to 11-7 on the season. They claimed the series win over San Francisco, as that ends tomorrow at 12:40 PM ET with Chase Burns on the mound. They also made the iffy-hamstring issue that closer Emilio Pagan is dealing with a moot point for a night, as their offense finally kicked it into gear enough to make needing a closer not really a thing.
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 12: Deandre Ayton #5 of the Los Angeles Lakers warms up before the game against the Utah Jazz on April 12, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jim Poorten/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Well, the revenge tour was a mixed bag. There were moments of brilliance when Ayton proved to be a productive starting center for the Lakers, but he also struggled and appeared unsatisfied with his role.
But now, the high-stakes games are here, and after missing the postseason the last few years, Ayton can’t wait for his first playoff run with the Lakers.
“You’re thinking about the environment, you think about the fans, thinking about the first game as a Laker in the playoffs, Ayton said after Wednesday’s practice. So, I just try to find some time to catch myself and gather and just relax. I’ve been here before, but I am truly excited. I want to do backflips. I’m in the purple and gold, and I just want to really just play hard as hell to contribute to wins.”
What’s become blatantly obvious is that Ayton works best when he is ramped up and inspired. The Lakers have done things to help create this environment for their big, like labeling his water “crunk juice” and wearing t-shirts featuring Ayton as a lion.
It seems he is ready to roar for the Lakers in the postseason and they need him to be the best version of himself now more than ever. LA is shorthanded with Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves out, and Ayton is exactly the kind of player that can elevate his game to a higher tier than most.
In the 13 games where Ayton scored at least 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, the Lakers went an impressive 12-1. With Lakers head coach JJ Redick stressing the team has to rebound well and limit turnovers, Ayton will be a big reason why they do or do not accomplish that goal.
Ayton was brought here for games like these. If he plays at a high level in the playoffs, all the downs during the regular season will be forgotten and forgiven. This is his chance to make his mark and demonstrate that he can still play at an elite level on basketball’s biggest stage.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 15: Andre Drummond #1 of the Philadelphia 76ers celebrates his three-pointer with Tyrese Maxey #0 and Vj Edgecombe #77 during the second half of an NBA play-in tournament game against the Orlando Magic at Xfinity Mobile Arena on April 15, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 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 Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Ladies and gentlemen, postseason basketball has arrived!
The seventh-seed Sixers welcomed the eighth-seed Orlando Magic to Xfinity Mobile Arena in South Philly on Wednesday night for an Eastern Conference battle in the Play-In Tournament. The reward for the winner? A date with the Boston Celtics in the first round of the actual NBA Playoffs, starting on Sunday in Boston.
The Sixers, as we all knew, were without the services of their superstar center Joel Embiid, who is less than a week removed from an emergency appendectomy performed last week. There is currently no timeline for a potential return from Embiid, but he was on the sideline Wednesday night to cheer on his teammates.
The Sixers got out to an early lead in this one behind nine points apiece in the first frame from Kelly Oubre Jr. and Tyrese Maxey. Oubre paced the Sixers early, burying three triples including one right before the first quarter buzzer, giving the Sixers a 28-24 lead after one.
After zero buckets from him in the first quarter, Paul George was the one to get things going to start the second. George knocked down four shots in the period including one from beyond the arc and went into halftime with 11 points. Maxey continued his stellar play led the Sixers at the break with 16 points of his own. The Sixers finished the half on a 9-0 run to go to the intermission with a 59-55 lead. At that point, the Magic were being carried by Desmond Bane, who led all scorers with 19 first-half points. Paolo Banchero wasn’t too far behind him, pouring in 13 in the first two quarters.
A chippy contest throughout, tempers flared in the third quarter as the refs had to separate the two teams on multiple occasions. The play on the court matched the level of the extracurricular activities with both teams trading tough buckets. Bane continued to cook for the Magic, leading the floor yet again after three frames with 28 points.
The Sixers held a 79-74 advantage headed to the final period. Twelve minutes away from the playoffs. What could go wrong?
(Fortunately, for once in Sixers’ history, things actually just went relatively well.)
A huge fourth quarter by numerous Sixers finally sealed this one in favor of Philadelphia. Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Andre Drummond, and Oubre all hit timely buckets and made key stops to propel the Sixers to victory — and to the NBA playoffs for the eighth time in nine years.
<p>(Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)</p><br> | NBAE via Getty Images
Tyrese Maxey was a constant contributor throughout this one for Philadelphia, but his biggest burst came in the fourth quarter, including a personal 7-0 run against the Magic towards the beginning of the frame.
Maxey constant pace and rim pressure were too much for Orlando to handle all night, and Maxey took full advantage. He got downhill with momentum on his side as often as he could, dancing through the Magic defense and often finishing in that acrobatic way we all know he can, even through a lot of contact on more than a few occasions. Whether it was that or creating just a modicum of sink to take a jumper, Maxey was in his bag tonight and it was fantastic to see, especially after seeing how he had struggled to get into a groove in some games to close the regular season.
The Sixers’ All-Star guard rose the occasion as a leader once again. With Embiid sidelined, Maxey’s leadership statistically and simply in commanding his team was more crucial than ever, and he certainly delivered on Wednesday.
Maxey finished the night with 31 points on 11-for-25 field goal shooting (3-for-9 from long range) with six assists, one steal and one block.
Next up is Tyrese Maxey, who led the Sixers with 31 points… with a LOT of them coming off impressive shot creation and some difficult finishes through contact.
<p>(Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)</p><br> | Getty Images
The Sixers rookie sensation just etched another chapter into his incredible freshman season in the NBA.
As he has all year, Edgecombe put in multiple acrobatic, crowd-pleasing finishes and sank some sincerely tough jumpers that most first-year players are simply not going to hit. Even putting aside the buckets, though, the rookie put up solid defense and team-leading rebounding in this one. Edgecombe pulled down 11 rebounds (beating Andre Drummond by just one to lead the squad) and had a bevy of deflections as well.
Edgecombe put up exactly the type of performance the Sixers needed from their rookie — and that’s a lot to ask of a 20-year-old! But, again, he rose to meet the large expectations.
Edgecombe finished Wednesday with a 19-point, 11-rebound double-double with an assist and a steal.
Excellent double-double night from the rookie VJ Edgecombe, who certainly didn't look new to the NBA postseason. A monster rebounder tonight and more than a few really impressive buckets.
Andre Drummond: 14 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2-for-3 from three
<p>(Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)</p><br> | Getty Images
What a night from the NBA vet in Andre Drummond.
It has been an up and down season for Drummond with the Sixers. At times, he was an absolute unexpected hero, especially with a big role to fill at the times Embiid has been unavailable. Other times, though, a different Drummond seemed to be on the floor, one that was seemingly stuck in place at times and less agile — one that looked 32.
Tonight, Drummond looked as good, if not better, than the young guns in their early 20s. His stats speak for themselves in this one, which will get to in a second, but I’d argue he did even better than the numbers would have one believe. Even coming in off the bench after Adem Bona was started in the five spot, Drummond went right to work as a massive impact on both ends of the floor for Philadelphia.
It honestly might have been the veteran’s best defensive night of the entire season so far, getting up in the air and altering shots at the rim, collecting three blocks for his efforts. He was also an aggressive and efficient rebounder for the Sixers and even had a few really solid passes — again, a few that might have been the best we’ve seen all season from him.
Drummond came up with that third and final block on one of the Magic’s final possessions as they tried to claw back into the game. Then, in very appropriate fashion, Drum hit the dagger with his second corner three of the contest, putting things out of reach of Orlando and squashing their last speck of hope to make some sort of last-second comeback.
Drummond finished the game with a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double. He shot 4-for-8 from the floor and 2-for-3 from beyond the arc. He also had two assists, three steals and those three blocks we mentioned.
My first Sixers shoutout for tonight has to go to Andre Drummond. What an impactful performance off the bench, all over the floor… all culminating in the dagger corner 3PT.
<p> (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)</p><br> | Getty Images
Kelly Oubre Jr.’s performance might be a bit overshadowed by some flashier teammates’ tonight, but no one should discount the impact he had on the Sixers pulling out the win in this one.
He was the first one for Philadelphia to really get going on the offensive end, hitting three triples in the first frame for a team-high nine points. As his teammates began to produce more offensively, Oubre’s night scoring slowed but certainly didn’t stop. Orlando seemed to not learn from their mistake of leaving Oubre with space on the arc, so he kept firing away. He finished the game with a floor-leading five triples made.
In addition to just the sheer energy boost he undoubtedly brings to this Sixers lineup, Oubre has the ability to impact games like Wednesday by simply sticking to what’s working. It hasn’t been a problem as much this season as in the past, but Oubre can still have moments of trying to do a bit too much, often leading to a lot of sloppy mistakes and inefficient shooting. Not tonight. He was exactly who the Sixers needed him to be, not a player trying to perform beyond his abilities, but one sticking to his strengths and ready whenever his number was called.
Oubre finished Wednesday with 19 points (6-for-12 field goal shooting, 5-for-10 three-point shooting) with three rebounds, one assist and one steal.
