Long before Tyler Toffoli signed with the San Jose Sharks during the summer of 2024, he began his career in Southern California and spent eight seasons alongside Jonathan Quick and Anze Kopitar, both of whom are calling it quits after the 2025-26 season.
Kopitar's career could come to an end at any moment now, as the Los Angeles Kings are on the verge of being eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the Colorado Avalanche. Toffoli had nothing but praise for the current Kings captain.
"He's the best," Toffoli said of Kopitar. "He's a guy that I definitely looked up to when I came in the league, and he definitely took care of me. I'm excited to watch him. To see the respect and everything that he got from everybody this year was something pretty special. He's one of the best teammates I've ever had and [I have] nothing but great things to say about him and and his family."
While Kopitar was a life-long member of the Kings, Quick had a different journey. Like Toffoli, Quick moved around a bit after departing Los Angeles. He had a stint with the Vegas Golden Knights, spent a couple of hours as a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets organization, and finished his career with the New York Rangers.
"I had the inside scoop," Toffoli joked when asked if he was surprised to hear that Quick was retiring. "You never would have expected him to keep going and do what he was doing in New York . He's also one of the best teammates I've ever had. The way that he plays and competes, no offense to any of the other goalies I played with, but that would be the goalie that I pick in any Game 7."
The NHL is a never-ending revolving door of players coming and going. Long-time Sharks fans will always remember the hard-fought battles between the Sharks and Kings during the 2010s, many of which focused around Kopitar and Quick.
As for Toffoli, he's can use the knowledge he gained as a member of those Kings teams to help the next generation of Sharks to make the next iteration of the rivalry even more unforgettable.
The current season has become a meme-war without end, an endless rolling wall of gloat and taunt in which players and managers must try to block out the noise
In his new book, Saved, Gianluigi Buffon talks about feeling crushed by nerves even at the peak of his playing career. The day before the 2006 World Cup final Buffon and Gennaro Gattuso walked past the French squad after training and were immediately sent into a tailspin by their opponents’ intimidating size and athleticism.
“We don’t stand a chance,” Gattuso joked, not actually joking. Buffon spent most of the night smoking in the hotel corridor with half the Italy team. At breakfast nobody could speak. They turned up at the stadium already feeling exhausted.
Apr 26, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Detroit Tigers outfielder Wenceel Perez (46) catches a fly out hit by Cincinnati Reds first baseman Sal Stewart (not pictured) in the second inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
After a gut-punch of a loss on Friday night, and a generalized shellacking on Saturday, could the Tigers salvage at least one win from their three-game series in Cincinnati? Well, with the help of some nice home runs — surprise, surprise, in this bandbox — and a feat not seen in a Tiger uniform for almost twenty years, Detroit indeed managed to win a game of the series in an 8-3 victory on Sunday afternoon.
Keider Montero, everyone’s favourite not-quite-a-Mud-Hen, made his fifth start for the Tigers. His start on April 16 against the Royals was a little shaky, but he’ll usually give you five or six decent innings and keep you in the game… which is what he did today. Notably, he only had three walks all year coming into today’s action. Also notably, in each of his three previous starts before today, he threw 55 strikes. Remember when Khris Davis hit exactly .247 in four consecutive seasons? It’s kinda like that, except not really like that. You’re picking up what I’m putting down, though, at the very least, which is the important thing.
Facing the Tigers today was Rhett Lowder (LOUD-er); his name makes me think he should be co-headling an alt-country music festival with Sturgill Simpson. At any rate, he’s in his first full season with the Reds; he was called up late in 2024 but lost all of 2025 to a forearm strain and, later, an oblique strain. Like Montero, he’ll give you five or six innings and won’t dominate, but will generally keep things under control. He generally doesn’t strike out many and he usually keeps the ball in the yard as well as you can in his home ballpark, but he’ll walk a batter or two.
The Tigers loaded the bases with two outs in the first through a pair of singles and a walk. Kerry Carpenter then laced a double on a low changeup down the right-field line to score Gleyber Torres and Riley Greene and put the Tigers up 2-0.
In the second the Tigers also had two runners on with two out, with singles by Kevin McGonigle and Torres. Alas, those runners were stranded as Colt Keith hit a routine ground ball to second base for the third out.
Nathaniel Lowe and the Reds got a run back in the bottom of the second with a solo home run on the second consecutive knuckle-curve he’d seen. In the bottom of the third TJ Friedl hit a double to left-centre with one out and took third on a bobble by Matt Vierling, and Friday night’s hero, Matt McLain, walked to put runners on the corners. But then Elly De La Cruz struck out and the dangerous Sal Stewart flew out harmlessly to Wenceel Pérez in right, and the Tigers wiggled out of that jam.
The Tigers weren’t so lucky in the bottom of the fourth, as JJ Bleday hit a solo home run to tie the game. Then, leading off the bottom of the fifth, Ke’Bryan Hayes tripled; with one out the Reds took the lead as McLain doubled to score Hayes and put the home team up 3-2. Montero then did a nice job limiting the damage, with a strikeout and a groundout.
Spencer Torkelson led off the sixth off reliever Brock Burke by smoking a double to centre, and one out later Vierling followed with a walk. Jahmai Jones, pinch-hitting for Pérez, walked on four pitches to load the bases. Burke found the strike zone again and Jake Rogers struck out looking; McGonigle followed with a long fly ball to centre which was hauled-in for the third out and the threat had been extinguished.
But the Tigers took the lead in a somewhat unexpected way in the seventh: Torres reached on Hayes’ error at third, and then Hao-Yu Lee, pinch-hitting for Keith, smacked his first major-league home run for a 4-3 Tigers lead. The big man was fired up.
One out later, Torkelson hit a home run in his fifth consecutive game, tying the franchise record last accomplished by Marcus “Country Strong” Thames in 2008; the dinger put the Tigers up 5-3. Carpenter then hit a triple to right — it’s tough to hit triples in this bandbox of a ballpark, but there ya go — and Vierling punched a fly ball to centre which was plenty deep to score Carpenter for a 6-3 lead.
Before I forget, Montero’s final line went thusly: 5 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 5 K, two home runs surrendered. It’s not great, but it’s not bad either. I don’t know how to feel about it. Vote now on your phones or something, I suppose. Brant Hurter pitched a boring sixth, which is all I could ask from Hurter; Will Vest, looking to right the ship a bit, came out for the seventh and got a flyout, a groundout, and a strikeout, which is precisely what you want to see. A healthy, happy and productive Vest will do a bullpen good.
Torres then put the Tigers up 8-3: after McGonigle walked with one out in the eighth, he hit a 2-run home run to right-centre. I’d love to see him have more extra-base power this season, as it’s been a slow start for him in those regards. Would a five-run lead be enough today, though? (As it turns out: yes. Yes, it would.)
Kyle Finnegan had a mostly-uneventful eighth inning, as he only allowed a single and successfully retired the other three batters he faced. Brenan Hanifee, who was just recalled from Triple-A Toledo (see below), was brought in to pitch the ninth; he gave up a long fly ball with two outs but Javier Báez caught it close to the fence for the final out and the victory.
The Tigers have an off-day on Monday before heading to Atlanta for a three-game series there.
The Tigers have placed RHP Connor Seabold on the 15-day injured list with left ankle inflammation. RHP Brenan Hanifee has been recalled from Triple-A Toledo.
Coming into today’s game, Spencer Torkelson had hit a home run in four consecutive games. The last Tiger to do that was Ian Kinsler in 2016. And we all know what Torkelson did today, but I’ll leave this fact in here regardless.
How many strikes did Keider Montero throw today? Fifty-six. So close!
I see that Alex Cora and his coaches “got the ziggy” in Boston yesterday. I love that particular term for a manager or head coach being fired; it’s a Detroit-specific thing, as far as I can tell, and I hope it stays alive in the lexicon.
This date in Irish history, specifically that of the Easter Rising of 1916, saw the Battle of Mount Street Bridge take place. Nearly two thousand British soldiers, who had landed at Dún Laoghaire, headed towards the bridge and were bravely fought by Irish volunteer forces. A mere handful of well-placed snipers managed to attack the invading British, killing 28 and wounding hundreds more, against only four Irish deaths in the battle.
Meanwhile, Kodai Senga, who has struggled thus far (8.83 ERA), will start the second game
Brett Baty came in hot, hitting .375 with a home run and 5 RBI over his last seven games, but went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in Sunday's first game
Right-hander Austin Warren is the Mets' 27th man, and he pitched the ninth inning in the first game
Today's Lineups for Game 2
ROCKIES
METS
Edouard Julien, 2B
Bo Bichette, 3B
Hunter Goodman, C
Juan Soto, DH
Mickey Moniak, LF
Francisco Alvarez, C
Tyler Freeman, RF
Brett Baty, 1B
TJ Rumfield, 1B
MJ Melendez, LF
Kyle Karros, 3B
Marcus Semien, 2B
Troy Johnston, DH
Carson Benge, RF
Ezequiel Tovar, SS
Ronny Mauricio, SS
Brenton Doyle, CF
Tyrone Taylor, CF
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The Mets fell to the Colorado Rockies by a score of 3-1 in the first game of Sunday's doubleheader at Citi Field.
Here are the key takeaways...
-- Nolan McLean was locked in early, racking up six strikeouts through the first three innings. The only hit he allowed the first time through the order was a bloop single to right by Jake McCarthy, who was then picked off as McLean showed off a terrific move.
But the righty found himself in a jam in the fourth, as the Rockies loaded the bases on a pair of hits and walk. A Troy Johnston hard-hit single to right made it a 1-0 game, but McLean got out of it by allowing just one run thanks to a strikeout and a 1-2-3 double play.
McLean ran into similar trouble in the sixth, allowing a double and a walk before Mark Vientos made a throwing error while trying to get an out at second base. McLean’s afternoon ended there with the bases loaded and nobody out.
Huascar Brazoban allowed an inherited runner to score on a double-play ball, but limited the damage. In all, McLean went 5.0 innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits with seven strikeouts and two walks. His season ERA sits at 2.55.
--Brazoban stayed in to pitch the seventh, allowing a leadoff double and an eventual RBI single from McCarthy, pushing the Rockies' lead to 3-1.
-- The Mets had a chance to get to old friend Jose Quintana early, making him throw 31 pitches in the first inning. But with the bases loaded and one out, Marcus Semien went down swinging, and Brett Baty was called out on a 3-2 pitch that was initially called a ball but successfully challenged by Colorado.
-- Quintana settled in over the middle innings, but the Mets got to him in the bottom of the fifth, as Tyrone Taylor slugged a solo home run. His second big fly of the season tied the game at 1-1. Quintana left the game with the lead, going 5.1 innings while allowing just one earned run on two hits, striking out five and walking two.
-- A huge moment came in the bottom of the eighth. With the Mets trailing by two, they loaded the bases on Francisco Alvarez's first-career pinch-hit hit, a Bo Bichette single and a Juan Soto walk. But Luis Robert Jr. popped up for the second out, and Mark Vientos struck out, marking the second time the Mets left the bases loaded.
-- The Mets had just four hits as a team. They went 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left six men on base.
Game MVP
Quintana, who pitched into the sixth inning and allowed just one run against his former club.
Down 2-1 in their series against the Utah Mammoth, the Vegas Golden Knights’ offense has once again dried up. Thus, they have changed the one thing that remained constant throughout the season: the power play.
Barring a few games with injuries, the Golden Knights trotted a five-man forward group out for every 5-on-4 power play opportunity. Mitch Marner ran the point; Jack Eichel ran the half wall. Mark Stone worked his magic below the goal line, Tomáš Hertl was parked in the bumper, and Pavel Dorofeyev was set up in the right circle for a one-time opportunity.
In the regular season, this unit was money. Despite Stone missing 22 games, they finished the year as the 6th-ranked power play with a 24.6% success rate.
But now, in the postseason, they’ve hit a wall. After going 2-for-5 through the first two games of the series, the Golden Knights are 0-fer their last five opportunities. Three of those opportunities would have gotten them back into the fight in Game 3, which was ultimately a 4-2 loss.
So, the Golden Knights are changing things up.
On the first unit, Eichel, Stone, and Dorofeyev remain in their usual spots. But Ivan Barbashev replaced Hertl in the bumper, and Shea Theodore slots into Marner’s position at the point.
The second unit is a bit more interesting. Rasmus Andersson joins Marner at the point, and Noah Hanifin is on the half wall. Brett Howden is netfront, and Hertl is in the bumper.
Head coach John Tortorella simply said, “We changed it. We’re gonna see how it works.”
After starting all three postseason games with the same lineup, the Golden Knights are changing things up. They shuffled the top three lines and kept the fourth line intact:
Ivan Barbashev – Jack Eichel – Pavel Dorofeyev
Reilly Smith – Mitch Marner – Mark Stone
Brett Howden – Tomáš Hertl – Keegan Kolesar
Cole Smith – Nic Dowd – Colton Sissons
The defensive pairs remained unchanged. Carter Hart will remain the starting goaltender.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - APRIL 26: Yandy Díaz #2 of the Tampa Bay Rays reacts after hitting a two-run home run in the third inning against the Minnesota Twins at Tropicana Field on April 26, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Minnesota Twins flew into St. Pete late Thursday night and will depart shortly. Much like a group of college spring-breakers, they will likely want to forget everything in between (if they remember it at all).
In a move that felt a little like “playing with their food”, Tampa Bay ran old friend Griffin Jax out as an opener today. He pitched a clean 2.1 IP before bulk man Jesse Scholtens took over. The Twins put two baserunners—Ryan Jeffers BB, Kody Clemens 1B—on with zero outs in the second inning, but a Luke Keaschall fly out and a Matt Wallner GIDP extinguished hope for a run before it could really even be cultivated.
Instead, the Rays activated the scoreboard first in B3 when Twins SP Simeon Woods-Richardson threw a Hunter Feduccia bunt attempt wild (resulting in two bases) and then allowed a Chandler Simpson single to put ducks on the pond. Both would fly home on a Jonathan Aranda base knock. Freak-of-strength Yandy Diaz then basically popped a ball up—which carried over the RF fence beyond Wallner’s reach. 4-0 Rays.
The Twins threatened again in T4 by putting two more runners on base, but once again they were LOBster’d by a meek Royce Lewis pop-up out. Tampa nearly increased their lead in B4, but a nice Larnach-to-Jeffers relay cut down the run at the dish.
Nothing much of note transpired in the middle innings of this one, but in T7 the bats finally did some damage: a James Outman double was allowed to trot home on a Brooks Lee home run! 4-2 TB.
Alas, that was the only offense that could be mustered the rest of the way.
Your Final:Tampa Bay Rays 4, Minnesota Twins 2
Despite cleaning up the defense a bit and the pitching keeping them in the majority of these ballgames, the offense—especially the ability to finish rallies and drive in runs—remains equal parts un-playable and un-watchable at the moment. An Island of Misfit Toys of spare parts, floundering once-thought core pieces, and folks who probably shouldn’t be on the roster to begin with.
Zach’s Zealot
Denard Span: Bringing his children into the TV broadcast booth. The Span-Man seems like a legitimately great guy and family man. I enjoy him supplementing Morneau & Perkins on the mic.
Zach’s Zombie
SWR continuing to struggle: 4.1 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
Kirillofffan19regales us with tales of a Chicago musical tour and more attempts to get now-realtor Alex Kirilloff to sign a jersey
Who’s Got Next
The Minneapolis temperatures drop, which means the Twins are back home hosting the surprisingly-struggling—13-15 coming into today—Seattle Mariners (Mon. night, Tues. night, Wed. afternoon)
TORONTO — Scottie Barnes hit the go-ahead free throws in the final minute and scored 23 points, Brandon Ingram also added 23 points and the Toronto Raptors beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 93-89 on Sunday, tying the Eastern Conference first-round playoff series at two games apiece.
The best-of-seven series shifts to Cleveland for Game 5 on Wednesday.
RJ Barrett scored 18 points and Collin Murray-Boyles had 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Raptors, who won despite shooting 4 for 30 from 3-point range.
Barnes added nine rebounds and six assists.
Donovan Mitchell scored 12 of his 20 in the fourth quarter and James Harden added 19, but the Cavaliers couldn’t overcome an 18-turnover performance.
Mitchell missed two shots in the final 25 seconds, including a 3-pointer that would have tied the game. He finished 6 for 24 overall and made 4 of 12 shots from long range.
Sam Merrill scored 14 points and Jarrett Allen had 15 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who were outscored 10-2 in the final 1:54 of the fourth.
After Barrett’s driving shot cut the deficit to 87-86 with 49 seconds left in the fourth, Mitchell couldn’t get the ball across half court in time, giving possession to Toronto.
Barnes was fouled as he drove to the basket and made both, giving the Raptors an 88-87 lead with 34 seconds left.
With NBA commissioner Adam Silver in attendance, both teams struggled from 3-point range. Cleveland finished 10 for 40 from distance, including 5 of 10 in the fourth.
The Raptors missed 14 consecutive 3-point attempts to open the game before Barrett connected with 8:31 left in the first half.
Ingram missed nine of his first 10 attempts, but finished the half by making three straight, including a buzzer-beating 3 that gave Toronto a narrow 38-36 lead at the intermission.
Harden had more turnovers (six) than made baskets (four) in the opening half, while Mitchell shot 3 for 15 through three quarters.
Andrew Friedman became the latest member of the Dodgers organization to defend an MLB rule that allows Shohei Ohtani to effectively be an extra pitcher on the team’s roster.
In an interview with AM 570 that aired Sunday morning, the club’s president of baseball operations acknowledged that Ohtani’s two-way status –– which prevents him from being counted as one of the 13 pitchers the Dodgers are allowed to carry on their roster –– is “certainly an advantage” for the team.
“But it should be an advantage,” Friedman argued. “What Shohei does and what he is capable of is so unique, it should be rewarded. It should be celebrated.”
Andrew Friedman: “It felt very random and strange he felt the need to bring it up.” @THEREAL_DV talks with Andrew Friedman about the Ohtani rule and Craig Counsell’s comments. pic.twitter.com/q9LS7W5tix
Friedman’s comments came in the wake of recent discourse around the baseball industry over MLB’s 13-pitcher-maximum rule and how Ohtani’s two-way status effectively allows the Dodgers to carry an extra arm.
Cubs manager Craig Counsell has been the most vocal critic. Last week, he called Ohtani’s exception to the rule “bizarre.” On Friday, ahead of the opening game of this weekend’s Dodgers-Cubs series at Dodger Stadium, he doubled down by saying “it is a bad rule.”
“Look, this is not a Dodger thing, it’s not an Ohtani thing,” Counsell said. Yet, he later added, “There’s not another player like that, but one team gets different rules for that player.”
Friedman pushed back on that narrative in his radio interview, noting how “it felt very random and strange to me [that Counsell] felt the need to bring it up.”
When MLB instituted its rule that limits teams to having only 13 pitchers on their 26-man active rosters in 2022, Ohtani was still a member of the Angels. At that time, Friedman said, MLB officials surveyed executives from other clubs –– the Dodgers included –– to solicit feedback on the way Ohtani would factor into that roster restriction as a two-way player.
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman defended an MLB rule that allows Shohei Ohtani Getty Images
“I said, ‘Look, from a competitive standpoint, as the Dodgers, I don’t love it,’” Friedman recounted. “But wearing my industry hat, what’s best for Major League Baseball? It is to do everything we can for Shohei Ohtani to be in, and stay in, games. And obviously with the 13-pitcher rule, that’s a part of him being able to stay in the game when he pitches.”
Now, of course, the Dodgers are beneficiaries of the Ohtani carve-out, having signed the four-time MVP to a 10-year, $700 million free agent contract before the 2024 campaign.
This year, they are the only team in MLB capable of using a six-man starting rotation (including Ohtani) without having to sacrifice a full complement of eight relievers in the bullpen.
“Everyone knew the Shohei rules and had an equal opportunity to sign him two years ago,” Friedman said. “So not sure where the Cubs were in that process, or what Counsell’s thoughts were on it then. But that seemed like more of the relevant time to voice it than now.”
The Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani is a unique two-way MLB player, and some teams think LA is getting special treatment. Getty Images
Granted, part of the reason for the renewed conversation about the rule is because Ohtani is back to being a full-time two-way player again this year.
He missed all of 2024 as a pitcher while recovering from a second career Tommy John surgery and was limited on the mound last year while completing his recovery process. But this season, he has made normal turns through the Dodgers’ rotation as a fully built-up starter, allowing the team’s other starters to get an extra day of rest between outings.
If Ohtani counted against the club’s 13-pitcher maximum, it could complicate the team’s ability to maximize his two-way talents.
“I was able to look at what is best for the industry, and Shohei playing, and playing more often, and staying in games is what is best for the fans and everything else,” Friedman said. “We don’t have nine relievers. We have eight relievers, just like everyone else. We have five starters, just like everyone else. It’s just when Shohei is able, and the rest makes sense, Shohei pitches also. It is not that we are carrying an extra reliever relative to others.”
While Ohtani has gotten off to a slow start at the plate this season, he has reemerged as one of the best pitchers in the game, posting a 0.38 ERA through his first four pitching starts with 25 strikeouts in 24 innings.
He will next take the mound on Tuesday against the Marlins.
Don’t expect consternation over his special rules to die down before then.
Facing a must-win Game 4 at home, down 0-3 in the series to the Lakers, the Rockets will be without Kevin Durant once again due to a bone bruise in his left ankle, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.
Officially, Durant is still questionable for Game 4 and the Rockets have made no official announcement. However, according to Charania, Durant went through rehab this morning and was with the team for its film session, but said that the "bone bruise has created swelling, stiffness and lack of mobility in the ankle, sources said."
Durant has played in just one game in this series, scoring 23 points on 7-of-12 shooting with six rebounds in Game 2, but the Lakers won that game on their home court. The 16-time All-Star raised eyebrows in Game 3 when he was not on the bench (in street clothes) with his teammates, adding to the questions about the lack of cohesion in the Rockets' locker room. Coach Ime Udoka said after the game that Durant was getting treatment in the locker room during the game.
That lack of cohesion has shown on the court, where the Rockets have struggled to score consistently against the Lakers' pressure defense in this series. Houston has a 105.6 offensive rating in this series, 13 points below their season average (which was top-10 in the league). The Rockets also have struggled defensively to slow down LeBron James and the Lakers' attack, despite Los Angeles being without Luka Doncic or Austin Reaves.
The Rockets will need to find that cohesion on Sunday night, and do it without Durant, the team's leading scorer during the regular season at 26 points per game. If they don't, their season ends much earlier than expected, leading to a lot of offseason questions.
Apr 26, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl (19) reaches to block a shot from Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) during game four of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers have been consistently criticized for being soft and unable to rise to the pressure of a playoff environment. They’ve publicly pushed back against that notion, but actions speak louder than words.
The Cavs played scared offensively. Their highest-paid players didn’t just have a bad shooting performance — that could be explained. No, they shied away from the moment entirely. This allowed a Toronto Raptors team that would’ve struggled to hit water from a boat in the middle of Lake Erie to come away with a 93-89 victory to tie the series at 2-2.
To say it wasn’t pretty was an understatement. Neither team was able to generate any kind of offense through the first three quarters.
The Raptors took a narrow 60-58 lead into the fourth quarter despite shooting 26.7% from the field (26.7%) and 3-27 (11.1%) from three. Cleveland was slightly better in both categories, but their 16 turnovers and allowing 16 offensive rebounds allowed Toronto to close that gap.
The Cavs’ backcourt wasn’t able to generate anything through the first 36 minutes. Donovan Mitchell had just eight points on 3-15 shooting, with only two of those attempts coming in the restricted area and no free-throw attempts. James Harden wasn’t doing much to bail his backcourt mate out. He had 16 points on 5-10 shooting, but his six turnovers were a big reason why Cleveland’s offense was stuck in a rut.
Momentarily, it seemed like that was all going to change.
Mitchell briefly broke out of the funk he was in for the previous seven quarters in the fourth. He kick-started Cleveland’s offense with a driving layup to trim the lead to three. The Cavs then scored on their ensuing six possessions, which was highlighted by a step-back three from Mitchell.
The Cavs had an eight-point advantage before the Raptors responded.
A flagrant foul by Sam Merrill helped Toronto to regain momentum. A 6-0 run made it a two-point game, punctuated by a rare Brandon Ingram three to make it a two-point margin.
Merrill countered with a triple on the following possession to make it a five-point advantage with 2:30 left in the fourth. Things fell apart from there.
Ingram registered two points at the free-throw line, then RJ Barrett made a layup after a Raptors offensive rebound to make it a one-point game with 48 seconds remaining.
In a play that is emblematic of this era of Cavs basketball, they committed an eight-second violation to give the Raptors the ball back. This wasn’t because of anything Toronto did. Mitchell was just lazy in walking the ball up the court. Toronto applied pressure at the midcourt line, and because of the lack of urgency, it resulted in a turnover.
The Raptors iced the game away at the line.
Scottie Barnes was fouled on a drive to the basket. He made both free throws to give the Raptors a one-point lead.
Mitchell missed a layup on the other end. Barnes made two free throws after the Cavs were forced to foul. Mitchell then missed what would’ve been a game-tying three, ending any chance Cleveland had to realistically get back into this game.
Scottie Barnes was once again Toronto’s best player. He was active defensively with three blocks and a steal while contributing 23 points, nine rebounds, and six assists on 6-15 shooting.
The Raptors have continually made an effort to get Brandon Ingram involved offensively. That continued again in Game 4, but once again led to middling results. He had 23 points, but it took him 23 shots to get there.
Mitchell led the Cavs with 20 points on 6-24 shooting with four fouls.
Harden had 19 points on 6-14 shooting with eight assists and seven turnovers.
The Cavs have been criticized for being soft and not responding to adversity well. They once again showed why.
This group spent the lead up of this game talking about needing to be the aggressors, and they flat-out weren’t. The guards didn’t make the effort to get downhill, and they weren’t able to get the bigs involved.
Mitchell and Harden were both rattled by Toronto’s physicality. They had no answers, committed careless turnovers, and couldn’t close out a game they had firmly in hand.
Meanwhile, Cleveland’s oversized front court couldn’t physically match a smaller Toronto front line. Jarrett Allen was a non-factor offensively. He had just three points on 1-5 shooting. Evan Mobley wasn’t much better, supplying eight points on just 4-11 shooting.
Additionally, the Cavs as a whole were bullied on the glass. They surrendered 21 offensive rebounds, which led to 19 second-chance points. The Raptors were able to retrieve 40% of their missed shots (92nd percentile) to keep their abysmal offense alive.
This all led to yet another loss to a team that is considerably less talented in a playoff setting.
No matter how many iterations of this group we’ve seen, they still bump up against the same problems.
The Cavs had a chance to take a decisive 3-1 lead and make this a short series. They blew two golden opportunities on the road to do that. Now, they’re in for a dogfight to save their season.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 24: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics controls the ball against Paul George #8 of the Philadelphia 76ers in the first quarter during game three of the Eastern Conference first round playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena on April 24, 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 Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Boston Celtics (2-1) at Philadelphia 76ers (1-2) Sunday, April 26, 2026 7:00 PM ET Round 1 Game #4 Road Game #2 TV: Peacock/NBC Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub, 97.5 The Fanatic, Sirius XM Xfinity Mobile Arena Officials: Josh Tiven, Ed Malloy, Mark Lindsay
After splitting the games in Boston, the Celtics wrestled back home court advantage by winning Game 3 108-100 in Philadelphia.. The Celtics dominated Game 1 with a 123-91 win over the 76ers. The 76ers topped the Celtics 111-97 in Game 2 to tie the game at 1 game each. The Celtics have a 68-51 record against the 76ers overall in the playoffs. In the regular season, the Celtics are 272-199 overall, all time against the 76ers. They are 93-129 all time in Philly.
The 76ers had the #1 clutch defense in the NBA in the regular season They had a 98.6 defensive rating during the last 5 minutes of games that were within 5 points. They were 23-18 in games that included clutch minutes. The Celtics were 16-17 in games that included clutch minutes and that includes going 1-2 against Philadelphia this season. With 5 minutes left in Game 3, the Celtics led 92-88. With 2 minutes left, the Celtics led 97-96. The Celtics out-scored the 76ers 11-4 the rest of the way to get the win with Pritchard, Tatum, White and Scheierman all coming up big for the Celtics over the final 2 minutes.
Teams that win Game 3 of a series that is tied 1-1 goes on to win the series 74% of the time. When a series is tied 2-2, the team with the higher seed, and thus home court advantage, will win the series 73.1% of the time, which is a good percentage. However, if a team wins Game 4 to go up 3 games to 1, the odds of them winning the series jumps to 95.4%. The Celtics can’t become complacent because they got home court back with their Game 3 win.
One of the advantages that the Celtics have is their depth. In Game 1, the Celtics got 37 points from their bench while the 76ers got 27 points from theirs. Of course, there were about 6 minutes of garbage time in that game. In Game 2, the 76ers got 21 points from their bench while the Celtics got 20 from theirs. In Game 3, the Celtics’ bench put up 35 points while the 76ers got just 14 points from theirs. It would seem that as the reserves go, so goes the game.
If the Celtics had one flaw this season, it was becoming complacent and allowing lesser teams to play harder than them. They can’t afford to do that in the playoffs. They got a very dominant win in Game 1 but they slacked off and allowed the 76ers to play harder in Game 2 and they lost. The Celtics have to play even harder in this game and they will need to be ready for the 76ers’ adjustments. They can’t get complacent and have to come out and fight even harder in this game than they have so far in the series.
The Celtics come into this game with a clean injury report. once again. Derrick White injured his neck in the opening minutes of Game 3 but stayed in the game and played almost 34 minutes. He is not listed on the injury report so should be good to go for Game 4. Jaylen Brown turned his ankle in the fourth quarter of Game 3 but, like White, stayed in the game and is not on the injury report for Game 4.
For the 76ers, Joel Embiid is once on their injury report. Embiid underwent an appendectomy on April 9. Recovery for an appendectomy is anywhere from 20 days to 5 weeks. After missing the first 3 games, he remains listed as doubtful for this game. Kelly Oubre joins Embiid on the injury report as questionable due to right adductor soreness. I’m guessing that Adem Bona will once again start for Embiid and if Oubre is out, Dominick Barlow may get the start in his place.
Probable Starting Matchups PG: Derrick White vs Tyrese Maxey
Derrick White | Getty ImagesTyrese Maxey | NBAE via Getty Images
SG: Jaylen Brown vs VJ Edgecombe
Jaylen Brown | NBAE via Getty ImagesVJ Edgecombe | Getty Images
SF: Sam Hauser vs Kelly Oubre, Jr
Sam Hauser | Boston Globe via Getty ImagesKelly Oubre, Jr | NBAE via Getty Images
PF: Jayson Tatum vs Paul George
Jayson Tatum | NBAE via Getty ImagesPaul George | NBAE via Getty Images
C: Neemias Queta vs Adem Bona
Neemias Queta | Boston Globe via Getty ImagesAdem Bona | Getty Images
Celtics Reserves Payton Pritchard Hugo Gonzalez Luka Garza Amare Williams Baylor Scheierman Max Shulga Nikola Vucevic Ron Harper, Jr Jordan Walsh Delano Banton John Tonje
2-Way Players None Injuries/Out None
Head Coach Joe Mazzulla
76ers Reserves Andre Drummond Quentin Grimes Kyle Lowry Justin Edwards Trendon Watford Dalen Terry Dominick Barlow Jabari Walker
2-Way Players MarJon Beauchamp Tyrese Martin Injuries/Out Joel Embiid (Appendix) doubtful Kelly Oubre (groin) questionable
Head Coach Nick Nurse
Key Matchups Derrick White vs Tyrese Maxey In Game1, the Celtics were able to hold him to 21 points on 20 shots along with 1 rebound and 8 assists while shooting 40% from the field and 25% from beyond the arc. He pretty much had his way in Game 2 with 29 points, 4 rebounds, 9 assists, and 2 steals while shooting 39.3% from the field and 41.7% from beyond the arc. In Game 3, he scored 31 points but took 31 shots to get them. He finished with 31 points, 6 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks while shooting 38.7% from the field and 38.5% from beyond the arc. The Celtics need to defend him well and not allow him to have an efficient game
Jaylen Brown vs VJ Edgecombe In Game 1, he finished with 13 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals while shooting 37.5% from the field and going 0-5 from beyond the arc. In Game 2, he finished with 30 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals while shooting 60% from the field and 60% from beyond the arc. The Celtics defended him better in Game 3 where he finished with 10 points, l0 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 block and 1 steal while shooting 24.9% from the field and shooting 0-7 from three. The Celtics need keep him from having a big game in this one as well. Honorable Mention Jayson Tatum vs Paul George Neither of these players were able to play in any of the 4 games between Boston and Philly this season. In Game 1, George finished with 17 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assist while shooting 50% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc, but he only took 8 shots. In game 2, he finished with 19 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 block while shooting 53.8% from the field and 40.3% from beyond the arc. In Game 3, he finished with 18 points, no rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals while shooting 50% from the field and 57.1% from beyond the arc. T
Keys to the Game Defense – As always, defense is absolutely the key to winning this, and every, game. Defense becomes even more important in the playoffs. It is very true that defense wins championships. In Game 1, the Celtics held the 76ers to 38.9% from the field and 17.4% from beyond the arc. In game 2, the Celtics defense faltered as the 76ers shot 47.8% from the field and 48.7% from beyond the arc. In Game 3, the 76ers shot 43.7% from the field and 34.3% from beyond the arc. The Celtics need to make defense their priority and they need to play physical, lock down defense from the opening tip until the final buzzer.
Rebound – Rebounding is also one of the biggest keys to winning every game. As Pat Riley once said, “No rebounds, no rings. In the regular season, the Celtics were 43-12 in games that they tied or out-rebounded opponents and just 11-13 in games in which they were out-rebounded. In Game 1, the Celtics out-rebounded the 76ers 43-40. In Game 2, they out-rebounded the 76ers 50-42, but they were unable to capitalize on them since they shot so poorly. In Game 3, the Celtics once again out-rebounded the 76ers 45-37. They have to continue to fight harder to grab rebounds than the 76ers if they want to win this game. Every Celtic has got to crash the boards and fight for every rebound.
Move the Ball – The Celtics need to move the ball and trust their teammates. They are at their best when they keep the ball moving and find the open man. When they lapse into hero ball and dribble too much, they tend to struggle, as they did in Game 2. They are 37-2 when they have 25 or more assists and 20-0 when they have 29 or more assists. In Game 1, the Celtics kept the ball moving and they had 31 assists. In Game 2, the ball tended to stick more and they finished with 24 assists. In Game 3, they finished with 21 assists. The Celtics have to keep the ball moving to set up the best shots.
Stay Focused – In Game 1, the Celtics turned the ball over just 8 times. But, since then, they have lost some focus and they have gotten sloppy with the ball. In Game 2, they turned the ball over 13 times for 15 points for the 76ers. In Game 3, it got even worse as they turned the ball over 17 times for 21 points. The Celtics were the best team at taking care of the ball in the regular season. They have to get that focus back and avoid careless passes and not drive into a crowd of defenders. They also have to stay focused on taking good shots and making them.
X-Factors On the Road – The Celtics will be on the road for the second straight game and they will be facing a very hostile crowd. Philly fans hate the Celtics because they have pretty much owned them in recent years. They hate Jayson Tatum because the Celtics took him with Philly’s pick after the 76ers traded up to take Markelle Fultz. There will likely be a lot of boos and the Celtics need to play through them. They have to shake off the distractions of playing on the road game and stay focused on playing good basketball.
Coaching – Joe Mazzulla is in his 4th season as Celtics’ head coach. He won a title in 2024 with a very talented team that was packed with shooting stars. Now he has to win in a different way since his personnel has changed and he did a great job in the regular season. Nick Nurse is in his 8th season as a head coach overall and his 3rd as the 76ers head coach. He won a title with the Raptors in 2019. In the playoffs, coaching becomes more important as it becomes a game of adjustments as they play the same team game after game. The coaching chess game will continue in Game 4.
Officiating – Officiating is always an x-factor. Every crew calls the game differently. Some call it tight and call every bit of contact while others allow more physical play. Some favor the home team while others call both sides evenly. The Celtics have to adjust to the way the refs are calling the game and not allow the no calls and bad calls to affect their focus on playing the game.
Official Report Crew Chief: Josh Tiven The Celtics record with Tiven this year is 3-0 and last year it was 5-1. The 76ers record with Tiven this year is 3-0 and was 3-3 last year. His home won/loss record is 35/32. He calls 19.4 fouls on the home team vs 19.8 fouls on the road team.
Referee: Ed Malloy The Celtics record with Malloy this year is 2-0 and last year was 3-4. Malloy didn’t call any 76ers games this season and they were 1-5 last season with him. His home won/loss record is 29/12. He calls 19.3 fouls on the home team vs 20.2 fouls on the road team.
Umpire: Mark Lindsay The Celtics were 3-1 with Linday this season and 7-1 last season with him. The 76ers were 4-1 this season with Lindsay and 2-3 last season. His home win/loss record is 38-26. He calls 20.0 fouls on the home team vs 20.1 fouls against the road team.
The Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers meet in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series. The Celtics took a 2-1 lead in the series after winning Game 3 108-100. Boston is 7.5-point favorites for Game 4. The over/under for the matchup is set at 213.5.
How to watch Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Date: Sunday, April 26
Time: 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Moneyline: Philadelphia 76ers +240 (28.2%) / Boston Celtics -300 (71.8%)
Over/Under: 213.5
Series schedule
Game 1:Celtics 123, 76ers 91 Game 2:76ers 111, Celtics 97 Game 3:Celtics 108, 76ers 100 Game 4: Sun., April 26 at Philadelphia (7 p.m., NBC) Game 5: Tue., April 28 at Boston (TBD) *Game 6: Thu., April 30 at Philadelphia (TBD) *Game 7: Sat., May 2 at Boston (TBD)if necessary
Los Angeles, CA - April 25: Freddie Freeman #5 high-fives teammate Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers after scoring on a Teoscar Hernández (not pictured) single against the Chicago Cubs in the fourth inning of a baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
Looking to take two of three, the Dodgers host the Chicago Cubs on Sunday. Justin Wrobleski faces Shota Imanaga.
