It started with an incredibly moving moment, as Warriors coach Steve Kerr removed longtime stars Stephen Curry and Draymond Green from the game, and the trio embraced on the sideline. Kerr is reportedly in the last year of his contract, and his future remains uncertain. It was a poignant moment between the three men who helped power the Warriors to four NBA championships since Kerr was hired in 2014.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen next but I love you guys to death. Thank you. I appreciate you," Kerr told Curry and Green on the Amazon Prime Video broadcast.
Kerr said after the game his plan was to take some time to determine what's next.
Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Steve Kerr share a moment after their 14th season together ♥️ pic.twitter.com/ivu63E5VL2
But just moments after that heartwarming exchange, Green was ejected from the game.
He and Suns star Devin Booker got into a heated exchange of words and received double technicals. As play resumed, with Booker on the court and Green on the bench, the jawing seemingly continued to a degree referee Scott Foster determined crossed the line. He paused play and ejected both men.
Green played to the crowd, demanding louder boos as he walked off the court.
A short time later the Suns finished off their 111-96 victory that clinched the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference.
The Suns will now travel to Oklahoma City and a date with the defending champions. The top-seeded Thunder host Game 1 of their first-round series, Sunday, April 19 at 3:30 p.m. ET.
The first NHL playoff tournament without a local club since the Devils moved to New Jersey in 1982 opens Saturday afternoon with the Senators and Hurricanes kicking off the two-month sprint to the Stanley Cup.
As has become the norm under the current format, the first round is packed with stories, and the bracket will inevitably thin out early.
There is Buffalo’s return to the postseason for the first time since 2011.
Penguins star Sidney Crosby is back in the postseason after a three-year drought. Getty Images
There is an intriguing Wild-Stars series, with the winner likely facing the Avalanche in a bare-knuckles Round 2 showdown.
There is Sidney Crosby back in the postseason after a three-year drought, leading the Penguins in a Battle of Pennsylvania, and there is a young Habs team running straight into the grizzled, experienced Lightning.
The Eastern Conference is wide open after the mighty Panthers, reigning two-time Cup champs and three-time conference champs, suffered an injury-plagued regular season and missed the tournament.
This could be the year Rod Brind’Amour’s Hurricanes make it over the conference finals hump. The Canadiens, Lightning and Sabres all have real Cup aspirations as well.
The Central Division trio in the West — Minnesota, Dallas, Colorado — guarantees the current issues with the format will continue. Whoever makes it through that gauntlet and into the conference finals, though, will have the victor of the Pacific Division’s pillow fight to contend with.
Even though it was Connor McDavid who used just that phrase, his Oilers loom as an obstacle, if only they can get their goaltending sorted.
It is as good a postseason as we’ve had in recent years, and New York will experience it from afar, on television.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - APRIL 17: Jalen Green #4 of the Phoenix Suns reacts to a three-point shot against the Golden State Warriors during the first half of an NBA play-in tournament game at Mortgage Matchup Center on April 17, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. 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 Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Phoenix Suns are not going anywhere. Well, technically, they have a flight to Oklahoma City for a game on Sunday afternoon, but you know what I mean. The season goes on, and we can thank Jalen Green. They effectively ended the Golden State Warriors’ season.
Phoenix got off to a strong start, and more importantly… they made their free throws! They went a perfect 15-for-15 from the charity stripe, and also connected on 7 more three-pointers than the Warriors. A true recipe for success.
Jalen Green led the Suns with 36 points on 14-20 shooting, including seven 3-point field goals. Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks had rough shooting nights and dealt with foul trouble early and often. Booker finished with 19 points on 5-12 shooting (10-10 FT), and Brooks added just 13 points on 4-14 shooting.
We should not take a win like this for granted, especially with how tough the Warriors looked when they took down the Clippers on their home floor a couple of nights ago.
A majority of the highlights you will see below all came courtesy of Jalen Green, as he was a walking highlight reel tonight. He poured in 35 points in the first play-in game against Portland, and added another 36 tonight. 37 on Sunday?
And one quick shoutout to Jordan Goodwin, who had his hands everywhere in this one. He was a major reason they won tonight, plain and simple.
Jordan Goodwin vs GSW:
19 PTS 9 REB 6 STL (!!) 7-11 FG 4-7 3P
More points than Steph. More rebounds than Horford. More steals than Draymond. More threes than Steph. pic.twitter.com/yca4YSZKkO
Phoenix jumped ahead to a 13-2 lead early, leading to a timeout from Steve Kerr. A similar start to the previous game for the Warriors, and they seemed to settle back in after, going on a 9-2 run.
Collin Gillespie was the first sub for the Suns, checking in for Jordan Goodwin. Jalen Green hit a momentum three to give the Suns a 23-11 lead.
Phoenix’s defense early was dialed in, making it tough for the Warriors to find any form of offensive flow. They held them to just 13 points through the first 9:30 of the game.
A Royce O’Neale triple extended the Suns’ lead to 16. Collin Gillespie drilled a stepback jumper as the time expired to make a 33-15 lead heading into the 2nd quarter.
The Warriors opened up on a 6-0 run, leading to a Jordan Ott timeout with the Suns’ lead cut to 12. As expected in this environment, no team will go down without a fight in an elimination game. A couple of mental errors started piling up for the Suns, with Goodwin overthrowing a wide-open Dillon Brooks off an inbound.
Haywood Highsmith got a chance to contribute and made his presence felt immediately.
Highsmith immediate impact, deflection on Porzingis leads to Jalen Green transition dunk.
Green later 3.
Goodwin putback. Suns up 13. Timeout Warriors 5:24 left in 1st half. #Suns
Every punch Phoenix threw seemed to be met with resistance from the Warriors. Just as they looked to distance themselves, the Dubs would go on a brief run to close some distance. Another careless turnover led to a Steph Curry transition triple, and the Warriors fans in the crowd started to get into it. Phoenix’s offense was absolutely shut down in the second quarter, pouring in just 17 points, with three of them coming right before the buzzer at half, courtesy of a Jalen Green triple.
At halftime, Phoenix led 50-45. Jalen Green led the Suns with 14 points. Podz led the Warriors with 12.
Second Half
The Suns had a strong third quarter overall, setting the tone early on defensively. Jalen Green continued his hot shooting, pouring in 11 points in the opening 9 minutes of the third, including three triples.
Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks were both battling rough shooting nights, along with foul trouble. They each picked up 4 fouls well before the third quarter came to a close.
Just as we all predicted, Draymond Green and… Haywood Highsmith got into it? A double-technical was assessed with just 30 seconds left in the 3rd quarter. This was later corrected as a double-foul on the two at the beginning of the fourth quarter by the PA announcer.
The Suns outscored the Warriors by four in the quarter to give them a 78-69 lead after three. Jalen Green had a 13-point quarter and led all scorers with 27 points.
Steph Curry opened the 4th quarter with a three, which is never a good sign for opponents. Jordan Goodwin thankfully responded with a three-pointer of his own, followed by forcing a jump ball on Steph defensively. Then he proceeded to get the crowd into it.
The Jalen Green game continued. He hit a pair of impossible shots with Draymond draped all over him. Bag work. Golden State called a timeout with the Suns leading 92-78.
Al Horford swiped some of that momentum back by knocking down a three, followed by Steph drawing a foul to get three shots. The lead was cut to 10.
Jordan Goodwin hit a three, and then Devin Booker got to his middie and the Suns poured in five straight points to build their lead back up to 99-84.
The Warriors kept fighting back, but the Suns poured in the threes to put their foot down for good and pull away.
Things certainly got chippy at the end, with Devin Booker and Draymond Green getting ejected after Green fouled out, and they exchanged words. And that’s all she wrote.
Up Next
As a reward for winning, the Suns are headed to Oklahoma City to play the Thunder in the first round of the NBA playoffs. They do not have a ton of time to rest, as Game 1 will start at 12:30 pm AZ time on Sunday afternoon.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA – NOVEMBER 28: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder brings the ball up court around Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns during the first half at Paycom Center on November 28, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 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 William Purnell/Getty Images) | Getty Images
PHOENIX (AP) — Jalen Green scored 36 points, Devin Booker added 20 and the Phoenix Suns locked down Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, winning 111-96 in the NBA’s play-in tournament Friday night.
The Suns took the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference playoffs and will face the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday in Game 1. The Warriors’ season is over.
Green shot 14 of 20 from the field, including 8 of 14 on 3-pointers. Jordan Goodwin scored 19 points, had nine rebounds and was a menace on defense with six steals.
Booker and Golden State’s Draymond Green were both assessed two technical fouls late in the fourth quarter after exchanging words multiple times and were ejected.
The 38-year-old Curry couldn’t get many clean looks and finished with 17 points on 4-of-16 shooting. Brandin Podziemski led the Warriors with 23 points.
Phoenix led by five at the break and built a 69-53 advantage with 5:12 left in third after a fast-break layup by Royce O’Neale. It was 85-72 with 10:12 remaining.
There was reason to believe the lead wasn’t safe. Phoenix blew an 11-point, fourth-quarter lead in a loss to Portland on Tuesday night, while Golden State clawed back from a 13-point fourth-quarter hole to beat the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night, which led to the winner-take-all matchup Friday.
The Warriors looked as if they might have another comeback brewing — Curry hit a 3-pointer that cut the margin to 85-78 with 9:30 left — but the Suns responded with the next seven points.
The Suns avoided becoming the first team to lose both play-in tournament games on their home floor. The current format was established in 2021.
Golden State’s Kristaps Porzingis played through right ankle soreness, the result of an injury Wednesday against the Clippers. The 7-foot-3 center played just 15 minutes and finished with 11 points.
The Suns built an early 13-2 lead after the Warriors turned the ball over four times. Phoenix pushed the advantage to 33-15 through one quarter after Golden State shot just 30%, including 1 of 9 from 3-point range.
But the Warriors recovered, cutting it to 50-45 by halftime.
PHOENIX — They did it once. They couldn’t do it twice.
A second double-digit deficit in as many play-in games proved to be enough to eliminate the Warriors, who scored the opening basket Friday night and never led again in a 111-96 season-ending loss to the Suns.
“Tonight we just didn’t have it,” coach Steve Kerr said “But the competitive desire was there.”
In a star-studded showdown for the final playoff berth in the Western Conference, it wasn’t Steph Curry or Devin Booker who took over.
The Warriors’ Steph Curry was limited to 17 points Friday in the play-in loss to the host Suns. NBAE via Getty Images
Golden State had no answer for Jalen Green, who one-upped his 35-point performance in a play-in loss to the Blazers that required 29 shots with a surprisingly efficient 36 points on 14-of-20 shooting, including eight 3-pointers.
Curry was limited to 17 points on 4-of-16 shooting after he scored 35 — 27 in the second half — during Golden State’s comeback win against the Clippers. The Warriors struggled to pick up the slack, managing just 15 points in a first quarter that ended with them down by 18.
“This was as tough a season as you can have, with the injuries, with all kinds of adversity. And they battled. They battled the entire season. They kept going the other night to continue the season, to show that kind of fight,” Kerr said. “I’m proud of the group for finishing the season the right way, by continuing to fight and try to win every game.”
Brandin Podziemski led the Warriors with 23 points and 10 rebounds but committed four of their 21 turnovers that the Suns turned into 30 points.
Draymond Green and Gary Payton II helped the Warriors contain Booker and Dillon Brooks well below their season averages — a combined 33 points — but they had no answer for Jalen Green.
Golden State’s Green and Booker were both ejected with the game out of hand late as players came chest-to-chest and multiple technical fouls were called.
What it means
Last year’s Heat remain the only No. 10 seed to advance from the bottom spot in the play-in to the playoffs. Golden State’s season is over.
The Warriors will have the 11th-best odds in the lottery, giving them a 9.4% chance at a top-four draft pick and 2% odds at the No. 1 overall selection.
Phoenix, which finished seventh in the West, will be the No. 8 seed in a first-round series against the defending champion Thunder that begins Sunday.
“You really have to give the credit to Phoenix. They punched us early,” Kerr said. “Aggressive defense, forcing a lot of turnovers. So we didn’t have it.”
The Warriors’ Gui Santos and his teammates were unable to advance after losing to the Suns on Friday. NBAE via Getty Images
Turning point
After falling behind 12-2 early in Inglewood, the Warriors found themselves in an even deeper early hole against the Suns. Unlike in Wednesday’s win, when they erased multiple double-digit deficits, they were never quite able to claw back from a 13-2 opening salvo from Phoenix.
The Suns widened their lead to 33-15 by the end of the first quarter.
The Curry flurry that carried them over the Clippers never came. He came up with a steal late in the first half and set himself up for a transition 3 that cut the Suns’ lead to 43-36, then converted a pair of free throws to pull the Warriors within 47-45 in the final moments of the first half.
But that was as close as the Warriors would get.
Golden State kept it close until Green hit his eighth 3-pointer with 7:58 to play. The shot extended the Suns’ lead to 90-78, and the Warriors wouldn’t cut it within single digits again.
MVP: Jalen Green
Green went to high school in the Warriors’ backyard and struck up an early relationship with Curry. He was one of the reasons Golden State upset the Rockets in the first round last year. This time, he almost single-handedly ended their season.
When Green hit his eighth and final 3-pointer midway through the fourth, it matched as many as the Warriors had connected on as a team to that point. Golden State finished with 11.
Stat of the game: 4-for-16
Curry had nothing left in the tank after his heroics two nights earlier.
He struggled to get involved early, taking fewer shots than seven players while they fell behind in the first quarter, and never found the touch once he forced the issue.
Curry’s 25% success rate from the field was the lowest of any player on either side who attempted more than three shots. He was also responsible for four of Golden State’s 21 turnovers.
His primary defender, Jordan Goodwin, came up with six steals.
Up next
The Warriors can turn their attention to next season and potentially one last ride with Curry. He has one more year on his contract, along with Green and Jimmy Butler. The biggest question the Warriors have to answer is whether Kerr will be back for a 13th season. He coached this past season on an expiring contract and has declined to address his future.
PHOENIX (AP) — Jalen Green scored 36 points, Devin Booker added 20 and the Phoenix Suns locked down Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, winning 111-96 in the NBA’s play-in tournament Friday night.
The Suns took the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference playoffs and will face the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday in Game 1. The Warriors’ season is over.
Green shot 14 of 20 from the field, including 8 of 14 on 3-pointers. Jordan Goodwin scored 19 points, had nine rebounds and was a menace on defense with six steals.
Booker and Golden State’s Draymond Green were both assessed two technical fouls late in the fourth quarter after exchanging words multiple times and were ejected.
The 38-year-old Curry couldn’t get many clean looks and finished with 17 points on 4-of-16 shooting. Brandin Podziemski led the Warriors with 23 points.
Phoenix led by five at the break and built a 69-53 advantage with 5:12 left in third after a fast-break layup by Royce O’Neale. It was 85-72 with 10:12 remaining.
MAGIC 121, HORNETS 90
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Paolo Banchero scored 25 points and Orlando built a 35-point lead in the first half on the way to a rout of Charlotte in a play-in tournament game and advanced to a first-round playoff matchup against the Detroit Pistons.
The Magic earned the No. 8 seed in playoffs and will start their best-of-seven series at Detroit on Sunday.
LaMelo Ball scored 21 of his 23 points in the third quarter for Charlotte.
Banchero had 12 points and Wendell Carter Jr. added 10 as the Hornets shot 5 for 20 with six turnovers in the first quarter and fell behind 38-16.
Ball was scoreless with two turnovers when he went to the bench with three fouls with 7:10 left in the first half. He did not score until Orlando’s lead had reached 35 points in the final seconds of the half.
The Magic were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in each of the last two postseasons and have not won a playoff round since 2010.
The Hornets, who beat the Magic in their last three regular-season games, have not been in the playoffs since 2016.
Apr 17, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Texas Rangers catcher Danny Jansen (9) waits to tag Seattle Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor (12) at home plate during the sixth inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
The Texas Rangers scored five runs while the Seattle Mariners scored zero runs.
For the second time this season the Rangers and Mariners opened up a series with Jacob deGrom matching up against Logan Gilbert in a battle between former Stetson University right-handers turned AL rotation-toppers.
Like the game back in Arlington earlier this month, there was a first inning home run. This time, however, it was the Rangers getting out on top early with Brandon Nimmo homering to leadoff the game on the game’s third pitch. Little did we know, despite three hours of baseball to follow, that would be all the runs Texas would need.
In fact, the Rangers made a habit of getting on for extra bases in the early going against Gilbert as they led off with an extra base hit in each of the first three innings.
However, Texas had trouble bringing in runs throughout most of the game despite piling up base runners. On the night, the Rangers had 17 opportunities with runners in scoring position and though they collected five hits in those situations, only three of those hits brought in runs.
Wyatt Langford singled in a run in the top of the third. Jake Burger provided an insurance run with an RBI single in the top of the seventh. After a sac fly by Andrew McCutchen in the top of the ninth, Josh Jung doubled in Texas’ fifth and final run on their seventh extra base hit on the night.
Meanwhile, while the bats were doing everything but making this game a blowout for most of the night, the Mariners were doing anything but being particularly threatening despite the relatively close contest.
With deGrom lacking his usual swing-and-miss stuff, and still on a short leash in the season’s first month, the Mariners fouled off a ton of two-strike deGrom offerings and had him out of the game after four innings and 88 pitches.
Nevertheless, deGrom wasn’t especially hittable either as Seattle mustered four hits and worked two walks against deGrom with their best chance of the game coming with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the first when deGrom buckled down and collected two of his three Ks on the night to end the threat.
deGrom’s short outing meant the bullpen had to do a lot of the heavy lifting, certainly an early trend so far this season. Answering the call, a fivesome of Gavin Collyer, Tyler Alexander, Jalen Beeks, Cole Winn, and Jacob Latz combined to toss five innings of two-hit, scoreless relief.
The Mariners nearly broke through to get on the board in the bottom of the sixth in what was then still a 2-0 game when J.P. Crawford singled to shallow left with Josh Naylor at second base but an aggressive send had Naylor out by like ten feet at home thanks to a nice and easy throw from Langford.
Ultimately the Rangers were in charge of this game practically from pitch No. 1, even with the score close until late and with the Mariners opting for a gameplan of trying to get deGrom out as quickly as possible by working the count.
With the win, the Rangers are now 4-0 against the Mariners this season and have evened up their record on this current long road trip.
Player of the Game: Jung collected three of Texas’ seven extra base hits, all doubles, and drove in a run as the oft-maligned third baseman from a season ago continues to heat up on this road trip.
Also, congrats to Gavin Collyer for picking up his first big league win with 1.1 innings of scoreless relief.
Up Next: The Rangers and Mariners will take to primetime for the second game of this weekend three-game set. RHP Nathan Eovaldi is next up for Texas opposite RHP George Kirby for Seattle.
The Saturday evening first pitch from T-Mobile Park is scheduled for scheduled for 6:15 pm CDT and will be aired nationally on FOX.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - APRIL 17: Rob Refsnyder #90 of the Seattle Mariners reacts after lining out during the eighth inning against the Texas Rangers at T-Mobile Park on April 17, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Rangers 5, Mariners 0
The miracle of pasteurization: Josh Naylor, +0.11 WPA A jar full of farts: Randy Arozarena, -0.16 WPA
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - APRIL 17: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors attempts a shot under pressure from Oso Ighodaro #11 of the Phoenix Suns during the first half of an NBA play-in tournament game at Mortgage Matchup Center on April 17, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. 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 Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Phoenix Suns ended the Golden State Warriors season on Friday night, defeating the Dubs 111-96. The Suns victory secured the eighth seed in the Western Conference, and sets them up for a first-round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Warriors, on the other hand, will begin their offseason. The loss will put the Warriors in the lottery, where they will have the 11th-best odds of winning a top-four pick.
For the second consecutive game, the Warriors got off to an ugly start and quickly gave up control of the game. The Suns jumped out to a 12-2 lead and continued taking advantage of nine turnovers by the Dubs in the quarter. Defensively, Phoenix successfully forced Golden State off the three-point line, as well.
At the end of the first quarter, the Warriors were trailing 33-15 and shooting just 6-for-20 from the field (1-for-9 from three). Steph Curry’s gravity helped the Dubs offense go on its first run to start the second quarter, cutting the lead to single digits on a 12-2 run. However, Suns guard Jalen Green caught fire to cut the momentum, a sign of things to come.
Golden State was finally able to cut the deficit to two points in the final minute of the first half, but Green answered with an incredibly difficult three to send the Suns into the half with a 50-45 lead. Phoenix had seemed to firmly control the game to that point, but was unable to pull away.
Neither team’s offensive nucleus (Devin Booker & Curry) found any rhythm in the first half, forcing both offenses into an ugly slog. Green had bailed Phoenix out while the Warriors had gotten the most on hustle plays and cuts from Brandin Podziemski.
The third quarter was more of the same. In fact, Curry looked hobbled, clearly in pain and barely running off ball. His gravity created some spacing for others, but the Dubs remained stagnant. Any momentum they built was killed by another offensive moment from Green, a turnover, or a whistle.
The game was far from over heading into the fourth, with Phoenix ahead just 78-69. But expecting the elderly (in NBA terms) Warriors — particularly a clearly compromised Steph — to withstand a similar beating and comeback was just asking too much.
Green single-handedly had an 8-0 run to give the Suns a 14-point lead with seven minutes left in regulation. Al Horford made a three and Curry drew a foul on a three-pointer of his own, but the last gasps of Golden State hope seemed to go out with about 5:30 left.
Podziemski caught a swing pass on the right wing and drove inside instead of hitting an open Steph in the corner. He turned the ball over and Booker knocked down a shot to push the Suns lead back up to 15.
Jalen Green was the difference in the game. He was the only offensive player on either team that was able to consistently score all game. He recorded 36 points on 14-for-20 shooting from the field (8-for-14 from three) alongside 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks, and 2 steals.
Booker finished with a game-best +25 plus/minus despite being relatively quiet offensively. He scored 20 points and added 8 assists and 6 rebounds with just 1 turnover.
Curry could ultimately not find his magic for a second game in a row. Instead, he finished with 16 points on an ugly 4-for-16 shooting from the field (3-for-10 from three) with 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 4 turnovers.
Podziemski was the Warriors most consistent performer on the night, leading the team with 23 points and 10 rebounds. It was far from a perfect outing, highlighted by his 5 turnovers, but it was commendable given he played 40 minutes for the second consecutive game (after playing all 82 games in the regular season). De’Anthony Melton had a solid all-around game, and scored 16 points that kept the Suns from pulling away when Curry went to the bench in the third quarter. Still, it was far from enough to match Green.
There’s a reason the Warriors were so celebratory after defeating the Clippers on Wednesday. They knew this season would not be lasting much longer. Sure, they hoped they could do it again, but they ran out of gas.
Now all attention goes to the offseason for Dub Nation. Will general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. build a legitimate contender? We’ll see.
BILOXI, MS - JUNE 21: Grant Kipp #34 of the Knoxville Smokies pitches during the game between the Knoxville Smokies and the Biloxi Shuckers at Keesler Federal Park on Saturday, June 21, 2025 in Biloxi, Mississippi. (Photo by Demetrius Hill/Minor League Baseball)
Vince Velasquez gave the I-Cubs a solid start as he allowed just one run on five hits over 4.2 innings. Velasquez walked four and struck out seven.
Yacksel Rios pitched the bottom of the ninth, gave up a two-run home run and got the loss. Rios allowed one hit, one walk and struck out one in the one inning of work.
First baseman BJ Murray went 2 for 4 with an RBI single in the sixth inning. Murray also scored on an Owen Miller sacrifice fly in the second inning. He was 0 for 3.
Grant Kipp and Luis Martinez-Gomez combined on the shutout. Kipp was terrific, allowing just one walk over five innings. He struck out seven and walked no one,
Martinez-Gomez got the four-inning save after allowing four hits but walking no one and striking out four.
Right fielder Alex Ramírez was 2 for 4 with an RBI single in the second inning. He also stole two bases, including stealing home in the first inning as part of a double steal of second and home.
Left fielder Jordan Nwogu was 1 for 3 with two walks and an RBI single in the second inning.
Starter Cole Reynolds gave up two runs on just one hit over four innings. Reynolds walked three and struck out three.
Kenton Egbert pitched the next three innings and took the loss. He surrendered two runs on two hits and a walk. Egbert struck out four.
South Bend trailed the Sky Carp 6-2 heading to the bottom of the ninth. They scored three times but were unable to get the fourth run home from second base when center fielder Kane Kepley grounded out. But Kepley scored the first run of the game when he walked to lead off the bottom of the first, stole second, stole third and scored on a sacrifice fly. Kepley went 0 for 3 with two walks and the two steals.
Third baseman Reginald Preciado was 2 for 4 with an RBI single in the fourth. Preciado also scored a run in the ninth on an error.
Here’s Kepley getting his uniform dirty in the first inning.
The Birds got three strong innings from starter Edwardo Melendez, who allowed only one hit. Unfortunately, it was a solo home run to lead off the second inning. But the only other baserunner Melendez allowed was a hit batsman and he immediately removed that baserunner with a 4-6-3 double play. Melendez struck out five.
Jordan Henriquez pitched the top of the tenth and took the loss. Henriquez gave up three runs, two earned, on two hits. He struck out one and did not walk anyone.
Third baseman Derniche Valdez hit his first Pelicans home run with the bases empty in the second inning. Valdez went 1 for 4.
Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers reacts against the Philadelphia 76ers in the third quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Doc Rivers has an NBA Finals win and a Coach of the Year honor on his ledger and is set to join the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame this year.
But that sounds like it’ll be where his resume will end as a professional basketball coach.
“We met about seven weeks ago, me and ownership. We had a great meeting,” Rivers said on “The Bill Simmons Podcast.”
Bucks head coach Doc Rivers reacts against the 76ers in the third quarter during a regular season game at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
“They asked me what I wanted to do. One of the owners says one plan is, ‘If we do this, you can hang in there for a year or two.’ I literally said, ‘Oh, no, no, no.’ “I told my coaches, I’m done. I loved coaching. Loved it. I had a lot of success at it, had way more ups than downs. But at the end of the day, I’ve given 47 years or whatever, I don’t even know how old I am … with no off time. I just wanted a break. I want to get away. The grandkids and just life in general, man.
“Right now, I can tell you, Bill, I think it was time, so I’d be surprised if I coached another game, I’ll put it that way.”
The 2025-26 season, his second full campaign with Milwaukee, turned into a disaster thanks to injury and constant trade rumors surrounding superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was limited to 36 games.
The losing record marked Rivers’ first full losing season since 2006-07 with the Celtics.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that there was a “disconnect” between Rivers and the players this season in a length expose on what went wrong with the Bucks this year.
It remains clear what is next for Rivers. He previously worked as an analyst on ESPN’s top announce team before leaving in January 2024 to join the Bucks’ sideline.
Rhett Stokes scores the winning run and the celebration begins!
Unbelievable!
This Nebraska Cornhusker team has fought and scratched all season when they are down and have treated their fans to some incredible wins, including some walk-off wins that have made the drive home quite a bit happier. None of them compare to what happened tonight!
Total pandemonium broke out in the bottom of the tenth inning when Mac Moyer laid down a picture-perfect bunch that pitcher Sax Matson threw past first baseman Adrian Lopez toward the rightfield corner. Rhett Stokes, who previously, reached on a walk, never slowed down once he saw the bunt down and charged all the way around the bases to score the winning run. Oh, what a ballgame! Nebraska 8, USC 7.
I’m too embarrassed to tell you how many times I’ve watched this clip in the last hour. https://t.co/RiJU4IyX7e
It didn’t start out that way. In fact, casual fans may have left the game before Nebraska got back in the game on this chilly night. Those who have followed the team all season knew they didn’t dare!
Southern Cal’s Mason Edwards is one of the premier pitchers in college baseball this season. He had a 6-0 record and a 1.35 ERA coming into the game. That went along with 95 strikeouts in 53.1 innings pitched. He was every bit as good as advertised tonight against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Fortunately for the boys from Lincoln and their dedicated fans, his night was done after seven innings.
In fairness to the Cornhuskers, they roughed up Edwards more than he had been up to this point in the season. The eight hits they got off him was the most he had given up all season, and they got a couple of runs in the sixth inning when Case Sanderson led off the inning with a single and scored two batters later on a Jett Buck double. Drew Grego also doubled to score Buck and after six innings it was 5-2 SC.
The Trojans grabbed those two runs back quickly as scored twice off Kevin Mannell in the top of the seventh on a two RBI single by Kevin Takeuchi.
Edwards’ night was over after seven complete innings having struck out 12 Cornhuskers and throwing a total of 105 pitches. Down 7-2, there was a window now for the Cornhuskers, but it was pretty narrow as it was just two innings. Fortunately, Nebraska crashed through that window thanks to some timely hitting, some incredible bounces, and USC errors.
After Drew Carey struck out for the third straight time in the game to open the bottom of the eighth, Jett Buck smoked his second double of the game off freshman reliever Gavin Lauridsen. The rookie seemed a little rattled and walked designated hitter Will Jesske. Drew Grego then reached on a fielder’s choice to put two on with two out. Up came a resurgent Joshua Overbeek who smashed a three-run homer to the right-centerfield berm. That cut the lead to 7-5.
Ty Horn came on to pitch the top of the ninth and sat the Trojans down in order with a strikeout and two ground outs to Carey at shortstop. His fire gave the fans, and his teammates hope for a big ninth inning.
Coach Andy Stankiewicz had gone to his closer, Adam Troy, to get the last out of the eighth inning striking out Jeter Worthley. He was set to face the heart of the Nebraska lineup in the ninth, writing the perfect script for the drama that had unfolded.
For Case Sanderson and Drew Carey, it was time for the dudes to be dudes. Both of them were 1-4 on the night and both of them had struck out three times. Both of them are very capable of hitting balls to the gap or over the wall. What happened over the course of the next nine pitches had to be seen to be believed.
Sanderson hit a hard grounder back up the middle that skipped off the mound and then hopped into centerfield as SC’s shortstop tried to field it. He then advanced to second on a wild pitch by Troy. Carey then hit one that the second baseman booted for an error, sending Sanderson to third. They didn’t have big hits, but they put the bat on the ball and Carey represented the tying run.
With runners on the corners and no outs, Jett Buck muscled a fly ball to right field that was deep enough to allow Sanderson to tag and score. 7-6 Trojans.
Preston Freeman came in to hit in Jesske’s spot and walked. Freeman, the winning run, was on first base and Carey stood on third. Troy was definitely feeling the pressure at this point and threw yet another wild pitch. Carey crossed the plate and the game was tied! Freeman hustled all the way to third on the wild pitch and got around the tag to put the winning run 90-feet from the plate.
That brought up Overbeek, who had homered the previous inning, to face Troy. Stankiewicz saw his closer struggling and in the middle of the at-bat, and brought in a lefty to face Overbeek. Overbeek switched to the other batter’s box, but Sax Matson got him looking on two pitches. The damage was done though, and the game was tied 7-7.
In came J’Shawn Unger for the tenth inning. He did not disappoint the raucous crowd as he struck out all three Trojans he faced and let out a roar on the last one to match the crowd!
That set the table for the Stokes walk, Moyer bunt and Matson’s wild throw, resulting in the Nebraska dugout emptying to chase down Stokes and Moyer to celebrate in centerfield. Ball game!
While this year’s version of the Southern Cal Trojans is not known for its offense, they tried to put the game out of reach early on. With the wind blowing out to leftfield, they took advantage of a struggling Cooper Katskee, making his first Friday appearance of the season. With one out in the top of the first, catcher Isaac Cardena sent a blast over the wall near the party porch to put his team up 1-0.
Even though he’s a slow starter, Katskee was not himself tonight as he missed big and left pitches over the plate where the Trojans put the barrel on the ball. They scored two in the second inning when they started off with three straight hits, a couple of singles wrapped around a double and increased their lead to 3-0 and sending seven batters to the plate.
Edwards used a successful recipe, throwing a first pitch strike and then moving breaking pitches around the strike zone. In one stretch, he struck out six consecutive Cornhuskers, with none of the Cornhuskers taking a swing at the first strike.
That's 100 K's for Mase 🤯
He's the first player in Division I to eclipse the 100 K mark this season and the first Trojan since Ian Kennedy in 2006 with 100 strikeouts in a season ✌️#FightOn x @MasonJEdwardspic.twitter.com/DKL9s1kPZX
He was good, but he didn’t go the distance and Nebraska made the bullpen pay. What’s wild is that those relievers from Southern Cal are very good as well. And, the coaching staff used their three best, so hopefully that bodes well for the Cornhuskers for the remainder of the weekend.
The job done by Jalen Worthley in the middle three innings cannot be lost in everything else that happened tonight. He shut down the Trojan offense facing only ten batters and took the momentum away from the boys from SoCal to give the Cornhuskers a chance to get on course. To see him pitching well in recent weeks is a good sign as the team continues the second half of the season.
It is yet to be seen how the teams will respond to the result tonight, but with the weather improving over the course of the next couple of days, Nebraska fans should pour into Haymarket Park to find out. This is the second heavyweight bout for Nebraska in as many weekends and after tonight, they have picked themselves up off the mat. You can bet that round two will be a battle as well.
Carson Jasa will take the mound for the Big Red at 2:00 tomorrow against Grant Govel. Both pitchers are carrying a 7-0 record and both have a 2.13 ERA. Looks like it will be another good one!
It sounds like Ty Horn will be in the bullpen the rest of the season. He may also be that guy that starts a game in a long tournament run if needed. He has been very effective in this new role the last two games, and having only thrown 11 pitches tonight, he will be available again this weekend.
Mac Moyer and Jett Buck both had three hits tonight against tough pitching. Moyer’s bunt was a beauty in the tenth inning. Buck also had a pair of doubles and two RBI.
After getting six hits off Cooper Katskee, USC only got three more hits in the game. Jalen Worthley, Ty Horn, and J’Shawn Unger did not give up a hit.
While tonight’s win was huge, Nebraska has to win at least one more this weekend to keep hope alive to host a regional. Nearly as important is to stay at toward the top of the conference standings as with a new tournament format there is a huge advantage to finish the season in the top four.
Daniel Palencia, who enjoyed a breakout season in 2025, is headed to the Injured List with an oblique strain.
The Cubs injury list now includes their closer.
Daniel Palencia was added to the 15-day injured list with an oblique strain on Friday.
Palencia, who wasn’t needed in the Cubs’ 12-4 thrashing of the Mets, aided Venezuela to the World Baseball Classic championship before the regular season, and entered the 2026 campaign riding high.
The 26-year-old now joins a long Cubs IL that includes fellow pitchers Matthew Boyd, Phil Maton, Porter Hodge, Hunter Harvey, Jordan Wicks, Ethan Roberts, Justin Steele, Shelby Miller and Cade Horton, along with first baseman Tyler Austin.
Daniel Palencia, who enjoyed a breakout season in 2025, is headed to the IL with an oblique strain. Getty Images
“I felt something weird there,” Palencia said following a bullpen session early Friday. “It got a little tight. Just trying to be smart. Hopefully, I’ll be ready soon.”
Cubs manager Craig Counsell hinted at further testing to determine the exact seriousness of the injury.
“If it lingers, yes, we will,” Counsell said of potential imaging for Palenica. “The fact that his bullpen went well, gives us some optimism. I don’t think he’d be able to do that with a high-grade strain, but we’ll know more in the coming days.”
Daniel Palencia celebrates the final out of Venezuela’s 3-2 WBC title-clinching victory over Team USA on March 17, 2026 in Miami. Getty Images
Palencia became the team’s closer last season, logging 22 saves with 61 strikeouts in 52 2/3 innings with a 2.91 ERA.
He began this season with similar ferocity, having yet to allow a run through five innings, recording one save and five strikeouts against two walks.
During the WBC, Palencia pitched five perfect innings with three saves and nine strikeouts to just one walk.
Apr 17, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) reacts after hitting an RBI single during the seventh inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
Game Summary
After a long and successful road trip, the Diamondbacks kicked off this six game homestand with a nearly drama-free victory over the defending AL Champs. It felt like a downright walk in the park to have a 3-run lead going into the 9th inning. What sorcery is this?! The Snakes didn’t play mistake-free ball, but they didn’t allow the Jays to capitalize on the mistakes they did make and they fully exploited the mistakes made by the opposition. We used to find ourselves on the other side of these; nice to be on the good side for a change!
Michael Soroka made his first start as an official member of the D-backs top-5 rotation after he beat out Brandon Pfaadt for the final slot once Merrill returned and it was good to see the good results didn’t disappear into thin air. Soroka cruised through his 7 innings of work, only allowing multiple baserunners in 1 of those innings. His strikeout numbers weren’t where he had been over the first few starts, but he was dialing up groundballs early in the count which allowed him to complete the 6th inning for the first time this year and then complete the 7th for good measure.
The defense was mostly wonderful, with the highlight being Geraldo Perdomo’s fantastic ‘tip drill’ double play to pour some water on a late Jays’ rally, but there were a couple miscues. Tim Tawa lost a routine fly ball in the open roof sky resulting in a 1-out double (stranded by Soroka), but the most egregious error of the night came by someone not even wearing an MLB jersey. One of the Golden Glovers down the right field line tried to glove a line drive that had just stayed fair, he knocked it down, which may or may not have helped him out as it rolled slowly to the fence. When Corbin made it to the ball, he grabbed and threw directly to the cutoff man Ildemaro who was playing second base on the night and then Vargas turned and threw a perfect strike from short right field to third base to nab Gimenez at third. Alas, it didn’t count due to the interference from the Golden Glover, but it was a great play to know that we’re capable of and it deserves a second look. Soroka once again was able to strand this double, picking up his defense just like his defense has mostly picked him up throughout the year.
The bullpen did it’s part, taking over a 5-2 advantage and only allowing 1-run. Jonny Lasagna wasn’t quite fully baked, allowing the lone run, but Paul Sewald continues to stack outs, getting a 1-2-3 9th with a strikeout. I’m still fully convinced the wheels will fall of Sewald at some point this year, but I’m really enjoying the display of competence he’s been having currently.
The offense was the final piece of this puzzle tonight and they did a good job capitalizing on opportunities and regularly keeping the pressure on the Jays’ pitchers. The biggest blow came in the 7th when young Jose Fernandez came up with runners at 2nd and 3rd and 2 outs. Fernandez hit a squibber up the first base line and hustled his way to the bag. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. fielded the ball cleanly, but either lost concentration or rushed his toss with Fernandez busting it down the line and lost control of the ball in the transfer. The Jays’ pitcher was hustling over himself and found himself in nearly perfect position to pick up the ball and step directly onto the first base bag, but he, too, rushed the whole thing and swatted the ball with his glove instead of picking it up. Fernandez ended up safe at first and 1 run scored on the play. Then Arenado got another big base hit, on top of the homer he hit earlier in the game, by lining a ball to center to score the runner from third and give the bullpen a 3-run lead to play with, a luxury they aren’t accustomed to.
The Blue Jays are hurting right now with many key players on the injured list (which is the only possible reason Joe Mantiply could be on the Jays’ active roster and multiplying runs for us instead of against us now) and possibly another joining that unit is old friend Daulton Varsho who left the game in the second inning with “knee discomfort”. I hope Varsho gets well soon, but the Diamondbacks capitalized on a team that’s not playing good baseball right now and they need to keep that up the rest of the weekend.
Win Probability and Box Score
Comment of the Game
The GameDay Thread was a little slow to get going, and finished with a total of 143 comments at time of publishing. Tonight’s COTG goes to Snake_Bitten concerning longtime dreams coming true:
Coming Up
The Diamondbacks face the defending AL champions for the second game of this 3-game set tomorrow afternoon with a 5:10pm first pitch. Max Scherzer (1-2, 9.58 ERA) will take the mound for Toronto and Zac Gallen (1-1, 3.60 ERA) takes the ball for the good guys.
Apr 17, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider (14) looks on against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the seventh inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
Stop me if you’ve heard this one: the Jays lost and suffered an injury. Daulton Varsho left the game in the third with what’s being described as knee discomfort. It’s not clear what happened, he hadn’t had any particularly awkward plays in the field and he struck out looking in his one at bat. Vladimir Guerrero jr. also jammed a finger recieving a throw at first and had to call time and speak with the trainers. He stayed in the game but was clearly favouring his glove hand. Other than that things went fine, assuming you also ignore the three fielding errors.
The offence continued to sputter. The first baserunner came on an Ernie Clement double with one out in the third. They got creative to manufacture a run in the fourth inning. Myles Straw and Jesus Sanchez singled to put runners on the corners with one out. John Schneider put on the squeeze play with Lenyn Sosa at the plate. He laid down the bunt perfectly, allowing Straw to score but being thrown out at first. After a 1-2-3 fifth inning they added on a second run the old fashioned way, as Straw wrapped a solo home run around the foul pole in left field. In all, they managed two runs on five hits off Michael Soroka, who went seven innings.
Braydon Fisher did a bit of a high wire act as the opener for Toronto. Geraldo Perdomo hit a two out ground rule double and advanced to third when Fisher botched a pickoff throw. A ground out avoided damage, though.
Eric Lauer looked better tonight, sitting more in the 90-92 zone that’s his norm than the 87-89 we saw the last couple of outings as he dealt with illness. He cruised through his first two innings of work before giving up a solo home run to Nolan Arenado in the fourth. He struggled a bit more in the fifth. A walk and a couple of line singles manufactured a second run for the Diamondbacks, and Jose Fernandez snuck a grounder up the middle for a third, making it 3-1.
Arizona picked up another in the seventh. Spencer Miles struck out his first batter but then gave up a single and a walk. A ground out advanced the runners. Miles go Fernandez to tap to first, but Guerrero fumbled the ball trying to make the toss to Miles at the bag, allowing a run to score and prolonging the inning. Arenado lined a single to plate another, making it 5-2.
The Jays got what looked like a rally going in the top of eight, but some tough luck put a damper on it. Heineman and Lukes lead off with back to back singles. Straw hit a soft grounder to second base that bounced off the heel of second baseman Ildemaro Vargas’ glove but right into shortstop perdomo’s hands, allowing him to turn an error into a double play. Vlad managed a broken bat single that at least plated Heineman to cut the gap to 5-3 before Sanchez struck out to end the inning. Joe Mantiply gave the run buack in the bottom half. James McCann singled on a grounder up the middle, and Tim Tawa lined a double to make it 6-3.
Paul Sewald retired the Jays in order to end the inning.
Jays of the Day: No.
Less so: Lauer (-0.13), Miles (-0.14), Okamoto (-0.13)
Game two is at 8:10pm ET tomorrow evening. Zac Gallen (1-1, 3.60) will go for the Diamondbacks, while Max Scherzer (1-2, 9.58) will try to better his dismal recent efforts as he battles forearm tendinitis.
