The milestones keep coming for Vancouver Canucks forward Brock Boeser. Shortly after reaching ninth all-time in points by a Canuck, the forward has claimed sole possession of eighth all-time by scoring his 479th career regular-season point against the Los Angeles Kings. In doing so, he has passed Pavel Bure, who previously held eighth with 478 points as a Canuck.
Only a few games after passing Tony Tanti for ninth all-time with his 471st point, Boeser put together a four-point effort that saw him score his first hat trick of the season against the Colorado Avalanche. He also collected a point in each of the team’s games against the Calgary Flames and the Vegas Golden Knights ahead of that.
While this season came off the rails for nearly every player on the Canucks, including Boeser, the forward has managed to find his form since the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline. Through 71 games this season, he has scored 21 goals and 24 assists. With his three goals against the Avalanche on April 1, Boeser also notched his seventh-career season with 20+ goals.
The next player Boeser will be looking to pass on the Canucks’ all-time points list is none other than his current teammate, Elias Pettersson, who currently holds the record for points by an active Canuck. Pettersson’s 505 points sit at seventh all-time behind Thomas Gradin (550).
Mar 21, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks right wing Brock Boeser (6) ready for the face-off during the second period against St. Louis Blues at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Simon Fearn-Imagn Images
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But which version? The 2024 Rookie of the Year who so often could not be touched? Or the 2025 starter who spent much of the season on the injured list and then returned without the same velocity and stuff?
Gil will begin to answer that question when he takes the mound in St. Petersburg to open a series in which the Yankees will need a fifth starter for the first time this year.
The 27-year-old did not look his best through much of spring training, which meant he slotted in behind Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, Will Warren and Ryan Weathers and began his campaign with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
But his velocity ticked up in a dominant start against the Orioles to end his time in the Grapefruit League. On Sunday, he made his lone start with SWB during a chilly afternoon in Rochester, where his velocity was down but the environment may have played a role.
Gil allowed three runs on four hits and four walks, including walking the first two batters he faced, while striking out six in 4 ²/₃ innings.
Yankees pitcher Luis Gil walks off the mound after being removed from a spring training game in the third inning. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“You could tell it was a really cold, windy day in Rochester,” said manager Aaron Boone, who watched Gil pitch on a monitor during a rain delay in The Bronx. “That first inning, he gave up a couple runs. I think he struck out the side in the first inning.
“… Managed contact pretty well. A little struggle in that first inning with his command, but overall threw the ball alright.”
The stuff during a frigid matinee at a minor league park was less interesting than the pitch mix. Of Gil’s 85 pitches, 30 were sinkers — a pitch he did not have in his arsenal in his first two major league seasons.
“Hopefully it’s just something that’s a little bit of a different look to help the four-seam play up a little bit and also help out with his secondary,” Boone said of Gil, who previously threw just a four-seamer, slider and changeup.
The Yankees are three games in to a stretch of 13 games in 13 days, which suggests that they likely will roll with the five-man rotation for a short while and enable Gil to make two starts.
Yankees pitcher Luis Gil pitching. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Whether he sticks in the majors beyond that will hinge upon injury and upon which Gil takes the mound this year.
In a lineup filled with righties against southpaw Jeffrey Springs, Paul Goldschmidt sat and Ben Rice started at first base in what became a 1-0 loss in The Bronx on Thursday.
Goldschmidt is fine, Boone said, and likely will play Friday against another lefty in Steven Matz, but the Yankees want to expose Rice — who went 1-for-4 and collected the lone Yankees hit — to lefties.
Yankees starting pitchers have allowed 16 runs, which is the fewest through 12 games in franchise history.
Carlos Rodón threw around 40 pitches while approximating two innings in a bullpen session Wednesday, Boone said. The next step — whether more side work or a rehab assignment — is unclear.
Gerrit Cole is set to throw a simulated game Sunday morning in Hudson Valley.
The Yankees designated reliever Cade Winquest for assignment before he pitched a game, The Post’s Jon Heyman reported.
Winquest, a Rule 5 pick this winter, will go to waivers, where he will be available to any team. If he is not claimed, he will be removed from the Yankees’ 40-man roster and offered back to the Cardinals, his original team. If it gets to that point and St. Louis declines to bring him back, the Yankees could then send Winquest back to the minor leagues.
Apr 9, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Tim Tawa (13) and center fielder Alek Thomas (5) and left fielder Jorge Barrosa (1) celebrate after defeating the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
On a cold blustery evening, the Arizona Diamondbacks were able to take the series against the Mets today after the bats broke out late against the Mets bullpen. The victory today is a key win for this team in the early going as the W/L record against a team like the Mets could prove to be very important down the line.
The beginning of the game was a solid pitchers duel for as it was a rematch of the World Baseball Classic championship game of Eduardo Rodriguez vs Nolan Mclean. Despite a first inning home run given up by Erod, the 2 pitchers went toe to toe inning for inning. Eduardo Rodgriguez managed to go 6 Innings of just the 1 run allowed while being the first Dbacks pitcher of the season to reach the 100 pitch mark. Although still early, he has really seemed to turn a corner in his career adapting his pitch arsenal. A historically fastball heavy pitcher, Erod continued the recent trend of throwing his changeup 32% of the time tonight while cutting his fastball usage almost in half. The early season results have been astonishing as he has pitched to a microscopic 0.50 ERA. Has to be one of the highlights of the early season so far.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Dbacks failed to score going into the 7th inning and I think every fan was thinking, “Oh great here we go again! Another wasted Erod masterpiece” Things turned around in the 7th however as Geraldo Perdomo led off the inning with a walk, Jose Fernandez notched his 2nd hit of the night moving Perdomo into scoring position, and Gabi Moreno pinch hit for James McCann and promptly rips a double over the head of the right fielder Brett Baty tieing the game. Alek Thomas was up next and knocked in the go ahead run Jose Fernandez on a fielder’s choice and a masterful slide by the young Fernandez. His elite sprint speed was definitely a factor on that play and caused a rushed throw by the first basemen. It is really nice having that athleticism on the field! From there, the Dbacks would open this game up on a sac fly by Tim Tawa and a triple by Jorge Barrosa bringing the score to 4-1 and some much needed breathing room.
The bullpen was nails tonight as Taylor Clarke did a tremendous job of holding the score there in a quick and efficient bottom of the 7th inning. A very underrated thing for a reliver to do by maintaining all that momentum and getting the team back in the dugout quickly. Taylor Rashi came in after Clarke and had perhaps the most dominant relief outing we have seen from a Dbacks pitcher in the early going as he pitched 2 flat out filthy innings striking out 3 Mets batters. Like he was in complete control tonight and he was even smiling on the mound as he was toying with the Mets batters with his high arm slot 4 seamer, splitter, and slider combination. He even threw a slurve tonight. Is Taylor Rashi a leverage reliever all of a sudden? Would be a huge break for this team if so.
Gabi Moreno was able to notch 2 doubles in a game that he didn’t even start in and the Dbacks were able to have a nice little 7 run outburst tonight on the offense bringing the final score to 7-1. The offense though it was late to show up tonight was a welcome sight for the Dbacks and their fans given some of the early season struggles they have had in that department. All in all, the Dbacks won tonight with excellent starting pitching, and athleticism on the offensive side. A welcome sight in my opinion and certainly playing the likes of Jose Fernandez, Ildemaro Vargas, and Jose Barrosa were paramount. Hopefully we see more of this brand of Dbacks baseball. This is the type of offense that is sustainable especially considering the Dbacks once again scored all 7 runs without the benefit of the longball. Refreshing!
The Dbacks will get on the bus tonight a game over .500 and head to Philadelphia to begin the weekend series against the Phillies. Lets see if the young guns get rewarded with more playing time, and this team can keep the momentum going into Philly!
After four long years, the Pittsburgh Penguins have once again punched their ticket to Lord Stanley's dance.
With a 5-2 win against the New Jersey Devils on Thursday, the Penguins clinched their first Stanley Cup Playoff berth since 2022, when they lost to the New York Rangers in the first round. In addition, with the Philadelphia Flyers losing, 6-3, to the Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh also clinched home ice advantage for the first round.
With second place in the Metropolitan Division etched in stone, the Penguins turn their focus to the final three games of the regular season, which feature a home-and-home against the Washington Capitals this weekend before a Tuesday regular season finale against the St. Louis Blues.
The final day of the NHL regular season is Thursday, Apr. 16, and the first round is set to begin on Saturday, Apr. 18. Follow along with our playoff coverage on the THN - Pittsburgh Penguins site for updates, live game blogs, playoff features, and more.
ST. LOUIS, Mo. (AP) — Alex Iafallo, Josh Morrissey and Jonathan Toews scored as the Winnipeg Jets beat the St. Louis Blues 3-2 Thursday night, keeping their playoff hopes alive.
Mark Scheifele had two assists and Connor Hellebuyck made 20 saves for Winnipeg (35-31-12), which has 82 points. The Jets went into the game four points behind Nashville (84 points) for the second Western Conference wild card.
Dylan Holloway and Colton Parayko scored for St. Louis (33-33-12) and Jordan Binnington had 31 saves. The Blues, who have 78 points, took a hit to their playoff hopes with four games remaining in the regular season.
Morrissey slammed home the rebound of a shot by Jacob Bryson to give the Jets their first lead of the game with 5:49 left in the second period and Toews made it 3-1 just 1:40 later.
Robert Thomas flicked a pass backward between his legs to Holloway for a goal from the right circle that opened the scoring at the 4:56 mark of the first period. Thomas has 325 assists for the Blues, tied with Al MacInnis for fifth-most in franchise history.
Iafollo poked home a feed from Scheifele from point-blank range near the midway point in the first period.
Parayko, on a breakaway, beat Hellebuyck to the glove side to cap the scoring with seven minutes left in the third period.
To make room for Luis Gil on the roster, the Yankees are reportedly designating right-hander Cade Winquest for assignment.
NY Post's Jon Heyman reported that the Rule 5 draft pick will be off the Yankees' roster when the transaction becomes official on Friday.
Back in Dec. 2025, the Yankees selected the 25-year-old in the Rule 5 Draft. Winquest earned the distinction of being the first player selected by the Yankees in this particular draft since 2011.
As a Rule 5 pick, Winquest had to make and stay on the Yankees' roster for the entirety of the 2026 season, or he would be offered back to the Cardinals. The right-hander made the team out of camp after seven spring games. In that span, Winquest allowed eight runs on 13 hits, four walks and eight strikeouts across 10 innings pitched.
Although Winquest was with the team, he did not make an appearance in the team's first 12 games.
Winquest was originally drafted by the Cardinals in the eighth round of the 2022 MLB Draft and did not make the big league club.
In 58 minor league games (38 starts) in the Cardinals system, Winquest pitched to a 4.19 ERA with 219 strikeouts in 212.2 innings.
Winquest finished the 2025 season at the Double-A level, appearing in eight games for Springfield with a 3.19 ERA in 42.1 innings.
Gil is set to make the start for the Yankees in Friday's series opener against the Rays and the Winquest move will be made official sometime before first pitch.
Two years of tanking have taken a mental toll on the Nets.
Nic Claxton is convinced it’ll be over next season, and he’s happy about that.
“It wasn’t always easy, honestly, with the lineup changes, with playing with a lot of younger guys at this stage of my career,” Claxton admitted. “This year was rough, obviously. So we’ve got a few more games this year, we flush that out, we get back to the drawing board this summer and we go from there.
Nic Claxton, who did not play, celebrates after one of the few good plays by the tanking Nets’ in their 123-94 loss to the Pacers on April 9, 2026 at Barclays Center. Corey Sipkin for New York Post
“You can’t let it affect your preparation and your mindset. Even this year I struggled with that some. Going into games you have to go in with the mindset, ‘OK, we’re going to win this game.’ But as far as wins and losses, I get what [coach] Jordi [Fernández] is saying. It doesn’t always come with the scoreboard. It can be seeing our rookies go out and spread their wings and gain confidence. … It can be me maturing and finding that peace within myself no matter what’s going on out there on the court. … Then next year hopefully we get some more actual wins.”
What the Nets (20-60) need is some lottery luck. They entered Thursday clinging to the third-best lottery odds.
Brooklyn’s 123-94 loss to Indiana at Barclays Center only helped their cause. They moved a game clear of the idle Jazz and Kings, tied for fourth.
Losses in their final two games — Friday in Milwaukee and Sunday in Toronto — would guarantee top three odds in the lottery and falling no lower than seventh in the June draft.
Claxton missed his third straight game with a sprained right fifth finger. He’ll likely end the season averaging 11.7 points and 6.9 rebounds.
That latter figure needs improvement. Claxton has not only regressed from his old defensive form, but has always struggled on the glass.
“One [key] is getting my teammates getting the easy ones,” Claxton said. “Sometimes you’ve got some rebound-hungry dudes on the team that can make your numbers dip because when I average more rebounds, my teammates would pretty much let me get the rebounds. That’s one.
“Two, it is just a mentality thing of going after all of the rebounds. Sometimes the rebound numbers can be skewed because my teammate can be right there to get the rebound and we secure the rebound, but if I don’t go after it, I finish the game with a lower number of rebounds, but my teammate grabbed the board. But it is a numbers game at the end of the day with the NBA, so it’s something you always want to just put some focus and energy towards.”
E.J. Liddell led the threadbare Nets with 26 points against Indiana, while Ben Saraf added 19 points, six assists and five boards.
Claxton, Noah Clowney, Egor Dëmin, Terance Mann, Josh Minnott, Michael Porter Jr., Day’Ron Sharpe, Nolan Traore, Ziaire Williams and Danny Wolf were all out.
Anthony Kay bent but didn’t break, grinding through 5 2/3 scoreless to lead the Sox past Kansas City. | (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Pitching ruled the night, and the bats did just enough to drag the White Sox across the finish line, 2-0. Raise a glass: the South Siders finally snap that 14-game Kansas City curse.
This evening’s contest was influenced a little by the ABS, with a few calls overturned on both sides. It added a bit of rhythm disruption to an otherwise crisp, low-scoring, slow-moving game. A key moment was Edgar Quero winning a challenge strike three call in the bottom of the first after a very lengthy at-bat from Vinnie Pasquantino.
Chicago finally broke the stalemate in the fourth after a quiet start by both sides. Munetaka Murakami coaxed one of two walks on the night and then hustled home on a 106.6 mph rocket RBI double from Colson Montgomery, putting the Sox ahead 1-0.
The Good Guys tacked on another tally in the seventh, capitalizing on a little chaos. Who doesn’t love a little on-field turmoil? Two free passes, a throwing error by Vinnie Pasquantino, and a sacrifice fly from Luisangel Acuña made it 2-0. It felt delightful to take advantage of the other team’s mistakes for once.
On the mound, the South Side staff was good enough, but did have to work around quite a bit of traffic. Veteran Anthony Kay set the tone with a strong start, getting key swings and misses for 5 2/3 scoreless frames. The bullpen didn’t light itself on fire and kept the Royals off the board. Grant Taylor tossed 1 1/3, and Jordan Leasure managed a drama-free inning with just one walk in the eighth. Seranthony Domínguez came out and slammed the door in the ninth.
KC had more than a few chances with baserunners everywhere. Bobby Witt Jr. provided most of the spark and did his best to play spoiler with a double, steal, and single, but thankfully for the White Sox, the Royals just weren’t able to cash it in. With the victory, Chicago snaps their three-game losing streak and improves their record to 5-8. The club will be back at it tomorrow at 6:40 p.m. CST with Davis Martin on the bump.
Detroit Red Wings team captain Dylan Larkin, who is battling through injury, came through for his team in a major way on Thursday evening.
Larkin netted the third hat trick of his NHL career, helping the Red Wings earn two badly-needed points in the standings with a 6-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers at Little Caesars Arena.
In doing so, Larkin has now established a new career-high in goals with 34, besting his previous top output of 33 goals in 2023-24.
With the win, the Red Wings remain mathematically alive in the tightly packed race for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, with just three regular-season games remaining; they're still three points behind the Ottawa Senators, who defeated the Florida Panthers, for the second and final Wild Card spot.
The Red Wings opened the scoring early in the first period on the power-play thanks to the 40th tally of the season from Alex DeBrincat; he became the first Red Wings player since Marian Hossa in 2008-09 to register 40 goals.
However, the Flyers tied it later in the frame after Christian Dvorak deflected a shot from former Michigan State Spartans forward Porter Martone.
Detroit's offense caught fire in the second period, fueled by goals from defenseman Moritz Seider and the first of Larkin's eventual three.
Just 18 seconds after Seider's goal, Larkin beat Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar blocker-side from in tight on the power play, then later slipped the puck five-hole on a partial breakaway just moments after exiting the penalty box.
Larkin completed the hat trick on a two-on-one rush, taking a pass from Seider and beating goaltender Samuel Ersson (who had replaced Vladar) with a top-corner snipe. It took several minutes for the ice crew to clear the hats that rained down from the fired-up crowd.
Detroit also got a third-period goal from Patrick Kane, who converted off a beautiful cross-ice feed from Simon Edvinsson.
Former Red Wings forward Luke Glendening scored his second goal of the season late in regulation, making the score look slightly better for Philadelphia.
Both teams utilized both of their goaltenders. John Gibson was shaken up in the second period after Owen Tippett collided with him; he departed after making 13 saves. In relief, Cam Talbot stopped 11 of 12 shots.
Meanwhile, Vladar was pulled after allowing four goals on eight shots; Ersson stopped 12 of 14 shots.
Up next for the Red Wings is the New Jersey Devils on Saturday evening at home in another must-win contest.
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Apr 9, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals designated hitter Jac Caglianone (14) reacts after striking out in the fourth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-Imagn Images | Peter Aiken-Imagn Images
You can’t win if you don’t score.
For the second time this season, the Royals failed to score a run in a game. A 2-0 loss to the White Sox drops Kansas City to 5-8.
It’s the Royals’ third straight loss, and in that time, the offense has averaged a single run per game.
Tonight, the Royals faced lefty Anthony Kay, who came it having not yet reached five innings in an outing sporting a FIP near seven while not winning a Major League game since 2021.
He looked dominant tonight. Against left-handed batters, he retired all seven he faced with six strikeouts. He pitched 5-and-2/3 innings, allowing only three hits and two walks. His offense didn’t give him much against Seth Lugo, but tonight, Kay didn’t need much help.
Lugo continued his strong season with 6-and-1/3 innings while allowing two runs (only one earned) while striking out four. He allowed four hits and walked four.
He also benefited from some stellar defense from Maikel Garcia:
The White Sox scored their first run in the top of the fourth when Colson Montgomery doubled home Munetaka Murakami. Lane Thomas took a very curious route to the ball, not only failing to catch it but also allowing it to get by him and reach the wall.
Colson Montgomery sends one to the gap as Munetaka Murakami races home from first to give the @WhiteSox the lead! 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/NWEaIwS4Ss
The scored remained 1-0 until the seventh when Luisangel Acuna hit a sacrifice fly to right off John Schreiber, allowing Andrew Benintendi to come home.
Royals batters only managed five hits for the night, the best of them a 113-MPH line drive off the left field wall by Bobby Witt Jr. for a double. Another foot or so higher and it would’ve been a home run. Aside from that, the Royals managed four other hits—another by Bob, two by Garcia, and one by Thomas. They also managed four walks, including one to start the ninth.
In the end, the Royals stranded 11 baserunners while going 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
Mother Nature pending, they’ll get another crack at the White Sox tomorrow night as they look to snap their three-game skid and even up the series.
Mar 10, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Fans react after Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) becomes the NBA's second highest scorer of points in a game against the Wshington Wizards at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images | Rhona Wise-Imagn Images
The Wizards are hosting the Miami Heat in game 81 of the season Friday night. Here’s the preview:
Game info
When: 7 p.m. EST on Friday, Apr. 10
Where: Capital One Arena
How to watch: Monumental Sports Network
Injuries
ESPN has not published either team’s injury report. It is safe to assume that a lot of players will be sitting out, though.
Game notes and more
The Wizards threw away the 2026 NBA season back in 2023, so it is no surprise that they have clinched another sub-20 win record. Let’s see what they get up to this offseason — it’s time to start competing, so perhaps they will decide to chase some veterans to shore up the rotation like the Detroit Pistons did a couple of seasons ago. Remember — the Pistons lost a record 28 consecutive games in 2023-24 and then played in a competitive first-round series the following year.
The Miami Heat are already locked into the 8, 9, or 10 seed. At this point, the play-in tournament should just be called the Miami Heat Invitational.
Remember when Bam Adebayo dropped 83 points on the Wizards a couple of weeks ago? That felt like a fever dream.
NEW YORK (AP) — Obi Toppin had 26 points and nine rebounds and seven Indiana players scored in double figures as the Pacers snapped a three-game skid with a 123-94 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night.
The Pacers (19-61) won for the fifth time in 27 games. Indiana was without head coach Rick Carlisle, who missed the first of two games to attend his daughter’s spring formal. Lloyd Pierce handled the coaching duties.
Micah Potter had 18 points and 14 rebounds, Ethan Thompson added 15 points and Jarace Walker and Jay Huff each added 14. Jalen Slawson and Quenton Jackson finished with 12 points apiece.
E.J. Liddell led the Nets (20-59) with 26 points and 10 rebounds. Ben Saraf scored 19 points and Tyson Etienne added 14 for Brooklyn, which shot 37 for 96 (37%) from the field and had its two-game winning streak halted.
The Pacers raced to a 31-14 lead in the first quarter, led 63-37 at half and carried a 26-point (98-72) advantage into the fourth quarter.
TORONTO, CANADA - APRIL 9: Brandon Ingram #3 of the Toronto Raptors drives to the basket during the game against the Miami Heat on April 9, 2026 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 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 Vaughn Ridley/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Before the game, Miami Heat Head Coach, Erik Spoelstra hinted at a better game between desperate teams after a “disappointing” matchup on Tuesday.
Unfortunately for Erik, none of his players got the memo.
Toronto routed Miami for the second game in a row, winning 128-114. The Raptors were led by Brandon Ingram, who finished with a season-high 38 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists. RJ Barrett added 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals. Collin Murray-Boyles was a perfect 7-for-7 from the floor, finishing with 17 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block off the bench. For Miami, Bam Adebayo improved on his no-show on Tuesday with 24 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists.
The outcome was never really in doubt as the Raptors played according to plan. “I thought that taking care of the ball was a big, big part of our game plan”, said Darko Rajakovic after the game. Toronto finished the game with only four turnovers (three if you remove garbage time).
Following a 26-point beatdown just two nights prior, the Heat sent an early message that Miami would not be laying another goose egg. The game was barely 95 seconds old when Darko Rajakovic called the first timeout as the Heat raced out to a quick 7-0 lead.
Fun moment: Herro shot waved off. Before fans could finish cheering, as if on queue, Herro took the inbound pass and scored in the exact same fashion.
With the Heat up 16-8 and Barnes out of the game with two quick fouls, Toronto ramped up the defensive intensity and went on a 15-4 run, fueled by 8 points from the Raptors’ other All-Star, Brandon Ingram.
Ingram ended the first quarter leading all scorers with 10 points. He also almost ended Kel’el Ware.
Toronto led Miami 32-26 after the first quarter. Among the many bright spots, RJ Barrett scoring 9 points in aggressive fashion, the Raptors over coming the slow start and, fairly noteworthy considering their struggles earlier in the season, scoring with ease when the Heat tried defending with a zone.
Active hands from Collin Murray-Boyles. After a missed corner three from Ja’Kobe Walter, Miami corralled the rebound but CMB deflected the outlet pass and came down with the steal. He quickly dished to Walter, who took advantage of the second chance and nailed the three.
Similar to Tuesday’s matchup, the Raptors turned up the aggression in the second quarter. Consistent drives to the basket led to kickouts for three or Miami fouls. Toronto was in the bonus over 4 minutes into the quarter. Miami’s biggest culprit was Vaughan native, Andrew Wiggins, who picked up his third foul just seconds into the frame.
Despite being in control for most of the first half, the Raptors couldn’t quite run away from the Heat — desperate to not replicate Tuesday’s disappointing effort. Led by Tyler Herro’s and Davion Mitchell’s effective drives, the Heat chipped away at the lead. With Bam Adebayo anchoring himself in the paint and thwarting drives to the basket, Miami whittled the lead down to 45-44.
Just like the first quarter, it was Ingram who spearheaded another Toronto run. He scored 5 points and assisted on a Jamal Shead three to push the lead back to nine. By the time Erik Spoelstra called his next timeout, the Raptors had already pushed the lead back up to 58-46.
Toronto didn’t stop there. Credit the team’s defensive pressure or Miami losing focus or Ingram seemingly on a mission to drop 50, but the Raptors pushed the lead to 69-50 at halftime. Ingram finished the half with 23 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. Murray-Boyles was a game-high +20 off the bench with 10 points — on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting — 7 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block. The Raptors carried its largest lead into halftime, despite having zero points on zero attempts in transition — normally a driving force behind a blowout.
Hopefully the vibes carry over to the Blue Jays?
Vladimir Guerrero Jr is here and got a standing ovation from the crowd.
— Esfandiar Baraheni (@JustEsBaraheni) April 9, 2026
Miami came out of halftime with desperate energy. Hell-bent on getting back into the game quickly, it only took four minutes for the Heat to equal its first half output from beyond the arc, nailing 3 triples and narrowing the lead down to 79-64.
The Heat’s comeback continued with 5 more triples. Combined with several one-and-done possessions for the Raptors, Miami turned what was a 26-point deficit to 6, as Toronto clung to an 89-83 lead.
For the third consecutive quarter, Ingram scored in double-figures. While almost half of his first half points came from the charity stripe, all of Ingram’s scoring in the quarter came from the field — with a higher degree of difficulty as the Heat focused more of it defensive pressure on the All-Star.
Toronto ended the third quarter with a 102-90 lead. Miami stayed in the game with some hot shooting, draining 9 of 12 three-point attempts.
With Miami’s offense reignited and the Raptors lead in a precarious position, Barnes produced a mini 5-0 run to start the final frame, causing Spoelstra to call a timeout. The Heat could not replicate its success from three, missing each of its first 4 attempts. Toronto capitalized on the offensive end, growing the lead to 114-92, forcing another Miami timeout.
The Heat, who have now lost 10 of its last 13 games and can finish no higher than 9th, are crawling towards the play-in tournament. If the last two performances are any indication, Miami’s season should be over in a couple of days and will be defined by one magical night when Bam Adebayo scored 83 points.
The Raptors finish the road portion of its regular season schedule with the last back-to-back of the season in New York on Friday. With only two games remaining, there are still huge implications for the Atlantic Division rivals. The Knicks can still finish anywhere from 2nd to 4th in the East standings, while the Raptors can finish anywhere from 5th to 8th. Toronto also swept the season series against Atlanta, and own the season series against Charlotte and Orlando.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - APRIL 09: Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives against Tari Eason #17 of the Houston Rockets during the first half at Toyota Center on April 09, 2026 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Everything is bad again.
Hours after learning Joel Embiid would be out with appendicitis, the Sixers fell to the Houston Rockets Thursday night 113-102 at Toyota Center. They cut a 28-point lead down to five, but didn’t have enough to complete the comeback.
The Sixers are now 43-37 and fading fast in the Eastern Conference playoff picture with the Toronto Raptors crushing the Miami Heat.
Tyrese Maxey bounced back a bit, going for 24 points on 9-of-20 from the field. VJ Edgecombe didn’t have the most efficient night, but was one of the big catalysts of the fourth-quarter comeback attempt with a strong overall game. He had 20 points, eight assists, six rebounds and two steals. Quentin Grimes also had a big night, going for 20 points.
Kevin Durant was exceptional with a game-high 29.
The team announced earlier in the day that Embiid would get surgery in Houston. During the game, it was announced that Embiid underwent a successful appendectomy. Given the recovery time it will take, it’s possible we won’t see the big fella on the court again this season. Just a brutal break for the former MVP and his teammates.
Here are some observations from the loss.
First Quarter
On the first possession of the game, Paul George forced a turnover on Alperen Sengun which turned into an Oubre dunk in transition. George then had a nice drive and finish on Amen Thompson. Not much has gone right for the Sixers this season, but PG has looked like PG over the last few weeks. Unfortunately, George also picked up his second foul late in the quarter.
You figured the Sixers needed an excellent Maxey performance to hang around in this one. Early on, his recent struggles continued. He missed his first three shots — including a step-back three that was way off — and committed another turnover on a drive. He went scoreless.
Adem Bona did a solid job on his Turkish national team teammate Sengun. Sengun was still getting his, but Bona was making him work on both ends.
Oubre was the main source of offense early with 12 points, including two threes. Oubre is on pace to have the best three-point shooting season of his career. The Sixers’ problems were mostly on the other end of the court, but turnovers helped the Rockets’ cause. The Sixers let Houston get out on the break and couldn’t slow down the Rockets’ offense for most of the first quarter. Houston was up 35-26 after one.
Kelly Oubre Jr. is the first on the floor to double digits here with 10 points in Q1 so far, shooting 4-4 FG, 2-2 3PT pic.twitter.com/5jk8Zl0I3E
Nick Nurse opened the second quarter with Dominick Barlow at the five. Andre Drummond didn’t have the greatest run against Sengun in his first-quarter stint.
Well, it wouldn’t be two straight games with scoreless first halves for Maxey, at least! He had a slick, lightning-quick drive for his first bucket. Unfortunately, he turned the ball over a couple possessions later. It looked like Maxey just lost the ball on a drive. You have to wonder how much that pinky is affecting him.
Stop me if you’ve heard this before — defensive rebounding was an issue for the Sixers. After Sengun drew a foul on Bona crashing the offensive glass, the 6-foot-0 Aaron Holiday snagged an offensive rebound and put it back. Whether Embiid plays or not, this is an evergreen issue for the Sixers.
The best way to describe Durant against the Sixers’ defenders is like when a tall person puts their hand on a shorter person’s head and the shorter person swings wildly. They just had no chance. KD put up 17 points in the first half.
Maxey closed the period strong, dropping 15 in the second, including three threes, but the main story of the first half was turnovers. The Sixers committed 11 leading to 20 Rockets points. That was basically the difference in the game as Houston took a 73-56 lead into the locker room.
Third Quarter
It felt like the Sixers were just mentally checked out. Josh Okogie destroyed them on the glass, they continued to turn the ball over and the Rockets’ half-court offense carved them up. The lead was up to 85-61 midway through the quarter.
It’s hard to even write about what I’m watching. This feels like a slow-motion trainwreck. If you’re an optimist, you could point to Maxey getting going as a positive. He turned in two straight rough performances, including what was arguably one of the worst games of his career in San Antonio. He at least got into rhythm against some pretty tough defenders Thursday.
Another small positive is Barlow playing Durant very tough on a couple possessions. You aren’t going to lock up one of the greatest scorers of all time, but Barlow made the future Hall of Famer work, using his length to bother Durant as much as he could.
It was an ugly third quarter overall. The Rockets took the period 23-17. They led 96-73 heading into the fourth.
Fourth Quarter
The Sixers did cut the lead below 20 thanks to Quentin Grimes and VJ Edgecombe. The combination of Edgecombe’s talent with the dog he has in him is fun. The guy plays hard every night and he tracks down loose balls as well as any player I’ve seen.
A 20-2 run got the Rockets’ lead down to seven. Most of it was fueled by the Sixers’ defense. All three of Edgecombe, Grimes and Barlow were flying around. Credit where it’s due: Drummond shook off his rough start to put together a solid performance. He was the big on the floor for the run and had 15 rebounds and five assists. Though he only recorded one steal, his quick hands did lead to a bunch of Houston turnovers.
A Durant three out of a timeout pushed the lead back to double-digits. Then KD found Aaron Holiday for an open corner three. One guy who wasn’t on the court for the Sixers’ run was Maxey. Nurse got him back in after those threes and he quickly found his way to the basket for an and-one. George was another guy not on the court. It seemed like Nurse was saving the veteran forward for the second half of the back-to-back tomorrow in Indiana.
A pair of huge Edgecombe buckets cut the deficit all the way down to five, but then, somehow, Durant got wide open for a three. That triple put the Rockets up 110-102 with 1:15. It was a valiant comeback effort, but the Sixers came up short.
