Apr 15, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Chad Patrick (39) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
After breaking a three-game losing streak on Sunday, the Brewers are back tonight to continue their homestand. Next up are the Arizona Diamondbacks, who are in for a three-game series.
For the Brewers, Chad Patrick is on the mound tonight. He’s coming off of a rough appearance in Detroit where he allowed four runs in four innings. Other than that appearance, he’s been good this season, allowing zero or one runs in his other four appearances. For the Diamondbacks, Merrill Kelly is making his third start of the season. He’s coming off of a bad start against the White Sox, allowing eight runs in 4 1/3 innings.
Prior to tonight’s game, we received several injury updates on the Brewers’ roster from Pat Murphy:
The batting orders continue to cycle for the Brewers, as they will continue with their streak of not using the same lineup in two different games this season. Garrett Mitchell gets his second chance as the leadoff hitter tonight, with William Contreras and Brice Turang batting second and third. Tyler Black is batting cleanup as the DH with Jake Bauers behind him fifth. Brandon Lockridge, Sal Frelick, David Hamilton, and Joey Ortiz round out the lineup.
First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. on Brewers.TV and the Brewers Radio Network.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 22: Tyler Mahle #54 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inningat Oracle Park on April 22, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Francisco Giants head east today to begin a three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Taking the mound for the Giants will be right-hander Tyler Mahle, who enters today’s game with a 5.26 ERA, 5.78 FIP, with 26 strikeouts to 14 walks in 25.2 innings pitched. His last start was in the Giants’ 3-0 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers last Wednesday, in which he allowed just three hits and two walks with five strikeouts in seven innings.
He’ll be facing off against Phillies left-hander Jesús Luzardo, who enters today’s game with a 6.91 ERA, 3.24 FIP, with 33 strikeouts to nine walks in 27.1 innings pitched. His last start was in the Phillies’ 7-4 loss to the Chicago Cubs last Tuesday, in which he allowed one run on five hits with three strikeouts and four walks in four and two thirds innings.
Former NBA player Damon Jones, arriving for a court date in Brooklyn, reached a plea deal in his illegal-gambling case. (Andres Kudacki / Getty Images)
Former Lakers assistant coach Damon Jones became the first among 34 defendants to plead guilty Tuesday in an expansive gambling indictment that also ensnared Hall of Fame player Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat star Terry Rozier and organized crime figures.
Jones was a Lakers coach in 2022 and 2023, long after he retired from an 11-year NBA playing career with 11 teams. Before a Feb. 9, 2023, game between the Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks in which LeBron James was a late scratch because of a foot injury, evidence showed that Jones urged a co-conspirator to “get a big bet on Milwaukee before the information is out!”
Jones urged his co-conspirator in a text: “Bet enough so Djones can eat to [sic] now!!!”
Jones and James were considered good friends for years. A person close to James told The Times in October that the Lakers star didn’t know that Jones was selling injury information to gamblers placing bets.
Jones had entered not guilty pleas in November to the two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud for his role in sports betting and rigged poker game schemes. However, during back-to-back hearings in Brooklyn federal court Tuesday, he entered guilty pleas to those charges.
Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 6 before separate judges in the two cases. Guidelines call for 21 to 27 months in prison for the sports gambling charge and 63 to 78 months for the charge on rigged poker games. Prosecutors said they agreed to shave 15 months from the sentence in exchange for Jones pleading guilty by April 30.
He pleaded guilty in the sports betting case first. In a prepared statement, he acknowledged that he conspired with others to defraud sports betting companies by using "insider information that I obtained as a result of my relationships as a former player."
Jones, 49, said the goal of the sports betting conspiracy was to use his insider knowledge of injuries to players to make money gambling.
"I would like to sincerely apologize to the court, my family, my peers and also the National Basketball Association," said Jones, who was paid $21 million as a player.
Next came pleading guilty to participating in rigged poker games. Jones admitted that he was paid to use his NBA celebrity to lure deep-pocketed gamblers to poker games in Miami and New York.
Again reading from a statement, Jones said that, based on conversations with his co-conspirators at poker games, "I knew these games were rigged and that players were being cheated."
And again he concluded with an apology, addressing the court, his family and friends.
"I'm really sorry to everyone involved for my actions," he said.
Prosecutors said Monday they would seek additional charges against Rozier in the sports betting case because they had developed evidence that the 10-year NBA veteran solicited a bribe during an alleged gambling scheme.
According to the original indictment, when Rozier played for the Charlotte Hornets in 2023, he told friends he was planning to leave a game early with a “supposed injury,” allowing others to place wagers. Rozier has made $135 million as a player.
Billups, who played with the Clippers for two seasons and later was a member of Clippers coach Ty Lue’s staff before being named head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers in 2021, is charged with rigging underground poker games that authorities said were backed by three of New York’s Mafia families. Billups, who was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2024, made $107 million as a player.
CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 22: Yordan Alvarez #44 of the Houston Astros celebrates with teammates in the dugout after hitting a two-run home run in the first inning during the game between the Houston Astros and the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on Wednesday, April 22, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Grace Hoppel/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Tonight begins the third series in a row in which the O’s face a team currently sitting in last place in its division. It’s unusual to find the Astros resembling that remark, as they’ve been consistently good for the better part of a decade, making the playoffs eight times in the last ten years.
The problem for Houston this year is its pitching. They enter this series ranked last in the majors in ERA, with a 5.97 team mark. That comprises an especially bad 6.31 bullpen ERA, but their rotation is also second-to-last in ERA, as well. That is a lot of bad pitching.
On the other hand, the Astros also have a league-leading 15 players on the IL. So there are reasons for the struggles. And a few stars are carrying the team, anyway. Yordan Alvarez has been going ham (no one still says that, right?), with an MLB-leading 1.220 OPS and 11 homers (tied for second with Aaron Judge) in 29 games. Former Oriole Christian Walker is also hitting annoyingly well, with a .946 OPS and seven home runs. Carlos Correa, reunited with the team that drafted him, is hitting .281, although not for much power, and José Altuve continues to be good (.260 BA/.358 OBP/.413 SLG).
Tonight’s Astros starter is Taiwan product Kai-Wei Teng. The bad news: he’s been good. The good news: he hasn’t started a game yet this season, and he’s not a left-hander (against whom the O’s are 0-6). The 27-year-old from Taiwan was traded from San Francisco to Houston this offseason, and the results have been there in 11 appearances out of the bullpen (1-1, 2.16 ERA). Teng’s four-seam fastball sits at 94.5 mph and sets up a dominant sweeper, easily his best pitch. Opponents have just an .074 average against it.
So far this season, Teng’s high pitch count is 39. Still, this may be less an opener gambit by Houston than a desperation move given a lack of other available options. If Teng can give the Astros 60 pitches, they’ll probably be happy with that. I’m curious to see how that translates multiple times through the order.
It would be super neat if Shane Baz turned in his first great start as an Oriole. In five starts, his best so far was one run allowed over 5.2 innings against the Pirates, a game the Orioles still managed to lose. Three times he’s allowed four runs and three runs the other time. Baz rounding into form would be more for the sake of the 2026 Orioles season than about winning the trade or the extension, although obviously it would be nice for the O’s if those things happen, as well.
Baz’s offspeed stuff has been a particular problem—but then, I checked and hitters are averaging .333 or better against all of his pitches but the cutter. He’s allowing more line drives than at any point in his career, which is a risk against a power-heavy lineup like Houston’s. One thing to be said in his favor: a .360 BABIP is just crazy bad luck. Perhaps tonight’s lineup—featuring three real outfielders—may help Baz bring that number down into manageable territory.
Apr 15, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo (42) throws a pitch against the Chicago Cubs in the first inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
Apr 6, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Tanner Bibee (28) delivers during the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images | David Dermer-Imagn Images
Here’s the Rays’ lineup:
Rays 4/28
C. Simpson LF J. Caminero 3B J. Aranda 1B Y. Díaz DH J. Fraley RF C. Mullins CF N. Fortes C R. Palacios 2B T. Walls SS
CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 21: Relief pitcher Kai-Wei Teng #17 of the Houston Astros pitches during the sixth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on April 21, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Houston Astros (11-18) begin a 6-game road trip tonight with the first game of a 3-game series against the Baltimore Orioles (13-15) at Camden Yards.
RHP Kai-Wei Teng (1-1, 2.16 ERA) will make his first start and 12th appearance of the season as he takes on Orioles starter RHP Shane Baz (0-2, 5.08 ERA).
ABOUT TENG: RHP Kai-Wei Teng makes his first start of the season tonight after beginning the season in the Astros bullpen.
In his 11 appearances out of the pen, he went 1-1 with 2.16 ERA (4ER/16.IP).
Tough To Hit:Teng has posted a .155 opponents batting avg., allowing just 9 hits in his 16.2 IP.
Last Appearance:Was on 4/25 vs. NYY (0.1 IP, 1 ER).
As A Starter:Teng has made 7 ML starts in his career, all while with SF in 2025.
Last Start: Teng’s last start was on Sept. 20, 2025 at Dodgers Stadium (ND, 3.0 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO).
Fun Facts: With his first ML win on Aug. 8, 2025 vs. WAS, Teng became the 8th Taiwanese-born pitcher in MLB history to earn a victory. Teng is the 2nd Taiwanese-born player/ pitcher to play for the Astros, joining RHP Chien Jen-Lo (2013).
VS. THE O’S: Tonight is the first of 6 scheduled matchups vs. the Orioles this season.
The Astros were 4-3 vs. BAL in 2025 with a 3-1 mark at Camden Yards when the two clubs last faced, Aug. 21-24.
Following the current series, the two clubs will next meet for a 3-game set at Daikin Park, July 17-19.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN: The Astros are on the road again for a 6-game trip following brief, 3-game homestand vs. NYY (Fri-Sun.).
After this 3-game series ends on Thursday, HOU will head to Beantown for a 3-game series vs. the Red Sox at Fenway Park this weekend.
ON THE OFFENSIVE: The Astros lead the AL in most key offensive categories: Runs (151), AVG (.259), OPS (.783), Doubles (63), OBP (.345), SLG (.438), Total Bases (430).
CAMDEN CRUSHER:Jose Altuve has a .377 (60×169) career avg. at Camden Yards with .444/.616/1.060 splits in 38 games. His .377 avg and 1.060 OPS at Camden Yards rank 2nd-best all-time, using a minimum of 150 ABs.
Vs. The O’s: Additionally, Altuve’s .321 career avg. vs. the Orioles overall is his 2nd-best vs. any AL club and his 6th-best vs. any MLB club overall.
Altuve has posted aa .300+ career batting avg. vs. 15 opposing teams.
CLIMBING THE CHARTS: Jose Altuve, who played his 2,000th career game on April 21 at CLE, is approaching more career milestones.
He needs 3 RBI to become the 5th player in franchise history to reach 900.
With 238 career HR, he needs one more to tie Lou Whitaker for 7th place all-time among 2nd basemen.
MAN ON FIRE:Yordan Alvarez has had a torrid start to this season, hitting .358 with 11 HR and 26 RBI. In addition to batting avg. and RBI, Alvarez also leads the AL in OPS (1.220), Offensive WAR (1.9), SLG (.755), OBP (.465) and Total Bases (80)….
Additionally, Alvarez also has the longest current hitting streak in the Majors at 12 games (.400, 20×50, 5 HR), his career best was a 13-game streak, May 2-16, 2023.
WALKER, TEXAS HAMMER:Christian Walker is hitting .417 (10×24) over the past week (since 4/20) with 3 HR and 7 RBI.
Walker was 6×12 (.500) in the series over the weekend vs. NYY with 5 RBI.
Among The Leaders: For the season, Walker enters tonight ranked T-3rd in the AL in RBI (23), 5th in SLG (.573), 6th in TB (59), 7th in OPS (.946) and 8th in doubles (8).
GUN ‘EM DOWN: In just 14 games (11 starts), C Christian Vázquez has thrown out seven baserunners attempting to steal (in 14 attempts), ranking tied for second in the AL in that category.
THE ORDER: The Astros have used 29 different batting orders in their 28 games so far this season.
Only LF Yordan Alvarez has started every game in the same spot in the lineup (second).
STALKING THE PUMA: LF Yordan Alvarez has matched the Astros franchise record with 11 home runs in the club’s first 29 games of a season, a feat he also accomplished in the 2022 season.
The only other Astro with 11 homers with the club’s first 29 games was OF Lance Berkman, who did so in both 2002 and 2006.
ON THE MEND:RHP Cody Bolton began a rehab assignment with Triple A Sugar Land on Sunday. In his outing, he allowed 1 run on 2 hits and 1 walk in 2.0 innings.
OF Zach Dezenzo also went 0x4 with a walk on Sunday with Sugar Land in his rehab appearance.
TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY:2000 – In Milwaukee, RHP Chris Holt turns in the best performance of his career with a 1-hit, 7-0 shutout of the Brewers. The only hit allowed by Holt was a Ron Belliard single in the 2nd inning.
1998 – In the Dome, a 10th-inning, walk-off single by Sean Berry lifts the Astros to a 4-3, come-from-behind win over the Mets. The Astros trailed, 3-1 entering the bottom of the 9th before rallying for 2 runs off Mets closer John Franco to tie it.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Tuesday, April 28, 5:35 p.m. CST
Location: Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore, MD
TV: Space City Home Network
Streaming: SCHN+
Radio: KTRH 740 AM & 99.1 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
Anze Kopitar has been with the LA Kings for his entire career, and he has shown the hockey world just what that means. From his immediate impact as a rookie to helping the Kings capture 2 Stanley Cups in 3 seasons, and having his nation receive international success with him leading the way, Anze Kopitar has left a truly inspirational legacy and career-defining moments that nobody could have imagined.
Kopitar's Immediate Impact
Anze Kopitar was drafted by the Kings at 11th overall in the 2005 NHL Draft, and he made his presence known in his first NHL career game. He debuted on October 6th 2006, on the road against the Anaheim Ducks. Kopitar would score his first NHL goal in that game after receiving a pass from Dustin Brown. Kopitar would rush down the wing and pass Chris Pronger before outwaiting Jean-Sebastien Giguere for his first NHL goal. Kopitar would score his 2nd career goal later that game, and that was just the beginning for Anze Kopitar.
Kopitar would finish his rookie season with 72 games played, 20 goals, 41 assists, and 61 points. Kopitar was the player the Kings needed to help get back to the playoffs and compete for a Stanley Cup.
In the early parts of Kopitar's career, he improved steadily as he reached career milestones early and often.
Some of Kopitar's Milestones in his early career were:
First Career Hat-Trick October 22 2009
100th NHL Goal January 28 2010
First Career Playoff Goal April 17th 2010
Anze Kopitar achieved all of these feats before the age of 24, and he was showing the entire NHL just how good a player he was becoming.
Playoff Experiences
In his first 3 seasons with the Kings, Kopitar did not make the playoffs, but in his 4th season, they qualified, and for Kopitar, it was his first time in the NHL competing for the Stanley Cup. The Kings would play the Vancouver Canucks in the first round, and while they would be eliminated in Game 6, Kopitar would have 2 goals and 3 assists for 5 points in those 6 games. While the Kings did not make the playoffs the following year, it would not be long before Kopitar and the Kings returned to the postseason.
Anze Kopitar and the Kings would make it back to the postseason in the 2011-2012 NHL season, where they would face the Vancouver Canucks in round 1. This time, the Kings would defeat them in 5 games, marking Anze Kopitar's first playoff series win.
In that same year, Anze Kopitar and the Kings would defeat the St. Louis Blues in 4 games, then the Phoenix Coyotes in 5 games to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals, where they would take on the New Jersey Devils. Anze Kopitar made an immediate impact in the Stanley Cup Finals, scoring the overtime-winning goal in game 1, and the Kings never looked back as they captured their franchise's first Stanley Cup after defeating the New Jersey Devils in 6 games.
Anze Kopitar was tied for the Playoff Point lead with fellow King Dustin Brown as they both had 20 points. That was not enough for Kopitar and the Kings, as 2 years after winning the Kings' first Stanley Cup, the Kings would make history once again.
In the first round of the 2013-2014 NHL playoffs, the Kings faced the San Jose Sharks, and after the first 3 games, they found themselves down 3-0 in the series. But the Kings would battle back to force a game 7, where Anze Kopitar would register the game-winning goal to complete the reverse sweep, a feat that has not happened in the NHL since.
What made this comeback even more legendary was that the Kings would find themselves in the Stanley Cup finals once again and capture their 2nd Stanley Cup in 3 years, with Anze Kopitar leading the way with 26 playoff points. Kopitar was a key piece for the Kings 2 Stanley Cup runs, and he was slowly becoming a legend in the making.
International Success
While Kopitar was coming off 2 Stanley Cup wins in 3 seasons, he added another great feat to his hockey resume, helping Slovenia achieve its best-ever performance at the Olympics. In that tournament, Slovenia would defeat Slovakia 3-1 and secure their first-ever Olympic hockey win; they would also defeat Austria 4-0 and advance to their first-ever Olympic Quarterfinals.
Slovenia made history with its best-ever hockey showing, and they did it with only 1 NHL player on the roster: Anze Kopitar. Kopitar would finish the 2014 Olympics with 2 goals, 1 assist for 3 points in 5 games.
Kopitars Impact
While Anze Kopitar was a spectacular player on the ice, it was his off-ice character that had Kings and hockey fans alike admiring the type of person he is. Kopitar, throughout his career, would receive individual awards that showcased his skill, character, and the kind of person he was.
Kopitar would receive 2 Selke Trophies, which are awarded to a forward who best excels in the defensive aspect of the game, meaning that Kopitar was considered the best 2-way forward in the NHL. It shows just how much he wants to support his teammates with his play in every aspect of the game. Kopitar would also receive the Lady Byng Trophy 3 times in his career, an award given to a player who has shown the best type of sportsmanship alongside a high standard of playing ability.
Lastly, Kopitar would receive the Mark Messier Leadership Award, presented to a player who demonstrates leadership qualities on and off the ice and plays a leading role in their community to grow the game of hockey. What all of these awards say about Kopitar is how good a person, teammate, and player he truly is.
Anze Kopitar Career Awards:
Lady Byng: 2015-2016, 2022-2023, 2024-2025.
Frank J. Selke: 2015-2016, 2017-2018.
Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award: 2021-2022.
Becoming The Greatest King
While Anze Kopitar, throughout his career, showcased to the world just how elite he is for the Kings, he was slowly chasing down the Kings franchise history, and in the 2025-2026 NHL season, he rewrote it.
After already being the Kings' franchise leader in games played with 1521, Kopitar would have an opportunity to break another Kings record: the franchise points leader. Before this season, the Kings' point leader was Marcel Dionne, who had 1307 career points. But on March 14th 2026, Anze Kopitar would receive a pass from Artemi Panarin and redirect it past Jake Allen to pass Marcel Dionne for the Kings franchise point leader, and he would end the season with the point record at 1316.
Saying Goodbye
Anze Kopitar has had a Hall of Fame career with the Kings, playing his entire career with the team since being drafted in 2005. Anze Kopitar has set the standard for what it means to wear the LA Kings jersey, and not only will he be a future Hall of Famer, but he will also be, for many NHL fans, a true childhood hero.
To Anze Kopitar, thank you for all you have done for the Kings organization, and Enjoy Your Retirement as the Kings, NHL, and Hockey fans say Goodbye to one of the best to ever do it.
Last offseason, Brad Stevens had to make cuts — the team that had won the title just more than a year before was about to get far too expensive. It was not pain free. Gone were three key pieces of the 2024 championship puzzle: Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford. Combine that with Jayson Tatum being expected to miss most or all of the season, and expectations were low in Boston.
The result: 56 wins, the No. 2 seed, and being the betting favorite to take the East heading into the playoffs.
All that had his peers vote to hand Sevens the NBA Executive of the Year award.
This is the second time Stevens has won the award, he also did so two years ago for assembling the team that won a title, the one he had to disassemble last offseason.
Stevens received 11 first-place votes and was on 17 ballots, cast by a panel of 30 basketball executives (one from each team). Atlanta's Onsi Saleh finished second in the voting, with Detroit's Trajan Langdon third (for the second consecutive season).
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - APRIL 20: Taylor Walls #6 of the Tampa Bay Rays throws the ball during the game against the Cincinnati Reds at Tropicana Field on April 20, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - APRIL 22: Oneil Cruz #15 of the Pittsburgh Pirates runs the bases after hitting a three-run home run against the Texas Rangers during the ninth inning at Globe Life Field on April 22, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Pitching Matchup: Kyle Leahy (2-3, 5.63 ERA) vs. TBD
The Pittsburgh Pirates are at home hosting the St. Louis Cardinals this afternoon at beautiful PNC Park.
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Apr 1, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Kyle Freeland (21) pitches to the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
The Colorado Rockies are surely feeling good about life since they are coming off a three-game sweep of the New York Mets at Citi Field. Worth noting, Colorado sits at 13-16 on the season, their best start through 29 games since 2022, when they got off to a 16-13 start.
In addition, the Rockies are 26 games into a 29-game stretch since March 30 against teams that finished the 2025 season with a winning record. They have gone 13-13 thus far, a marked improvement over 2025.
Tonight, the Rockies hope their good fortune will continue as they travel to play the Cincinnati Reds in a three-game series.
Starting for the Rockies is Kyle Freeland, who is just off the IL with some shoulder issues. This will be his fourth start for the Rockies in 2026.
The lefty has a 2.30 ERA in 15.2 IP. He’s struck out 13, walked four, and given up one home run. Freeland has a 1.09 WHIP.
Taking the mound for the Reds will be RHP Chase Burns.
Currently, he has an ERA of 2.57 in 28.0 IP. He’s struck out 30 while giving up 11 walks and four home runs with a 1.07 WHIP.
Joel Embiid turned in one of his best career playoff performances and the Sixers forced a Game 6 in their first-round playoff series against the Celtics with a 113-97 win Tuesday night at TD Garden.
Embiid had 33 points and eight assists. Tyrese Maxey added 25 points and 10 rebounds for the Sixers, who now trail 3-2 in the series. Paul George posted 16 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
Celtics star Jayson Tatum tallied 24 points and 16 rebounds. Jaylen Brown added 22 points.
Game 6 will be Thursday night in Philadelphia. Here are observations on the Sixers’ Embiid-led Game 5 victory:
Sixers bring back competitiveness
The Sixers created their first basket off of a Maxey-Embiid pick-and-pop. Embiid swung the ball to George, who drained a three-pointer from the left wing. Another George triple put the Sixers up 8-2.
Defensively, the Sixers’ start was encouraging. They were solid on the ball and relied on Embiid to protect the paint. Boston settled for some contested jumpers and the Sixers cleaned up the defensive glass. The Celtics scored just six points in the first six minutes.
The Sixers’ spirits could have stayed low following an ugly Game 4 loss, but they were certainly not checked out mentally in the early stages.
“I think that the players are pretty aware that they need to do the effort side of things, the really tough, grind it out things much better,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said before the game. “We show them. They’ve certainly talked about it enough among themselves. And now we’ve just got to see what mental frame of mind we’re in when the ball goes up tonight.”
The Sixers couldn’t break open a big lead because their offense stalled. Embiid began 0 for 4 from the field, including three long-range misfires.
After going 0 for 11 from three-point territory over the past two games, VJ Edgecombe nailed a corner jumper on his first shot beyond the arc. The Sixers launched 13 three-pointers as a team in the first quarter and only made three. Boston missed 11 of its first 12 threes.
Grimes steps up
Nurse initially stuck with Andre Drummond as Embiid’s backup over Adem Bona. Nikola Vucevic drove past Drummond and slammed home a dunk late in the first quarter.
Embiid was whistled for two fouls early in the second quarter and Payton Pritchard picked up where he left off in his 32-point Game 4 performance. Tatum intercepted a Quentin Grimes pass and finished a fast-break layup. Derrick White waltzed past Grimes and scored inside. The Celtics’ lead grew to 11 points on a pull-up Tatum jumper.
Grimes eventually converted a four-point play, but he wasn’t sharp on either side of the floor for much of his first stint and the Celtics’ bench outplayed the Sixers’ once more in the first half.
To Grimes’ credit, he had a great second half and posted 18 points on 5-for-8 shooting on the night. While consistency has been an issue this year for Grimes, he can deliver those sort of momentum-shifting scoring bursts.
Embiid had a productive second period attacking against the Celtics’ center trio of Neemias Queta, Luka Garza and Vucevic. He scored 13 points in the second and also helped the Sixers get Boston in the bonus.
Embiid dished to Maxey for a right wing three that cut the Sixers’ deficit to 50-48, but the Celtics replied with a 7-0 spurt and also had a strong start to the third quarter. The Sixers soon trailed by double digits again.
Embiid plays through it all, comes up huge
The Sixers continued to feed Embiid over and over again in the post.
As his teammates know well, Embiid is awfully tough for anyone to handle 1-on-1 when he’s in rhythm. The 35-year-old Vucevic lacked good defensive answers and Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla didn’t respond with double teams. Embiid laid the ball in over Vucevic and Edgecombe then drilled a three to pull the Sixers to within 66-65.
Embiid exited the game with an apparent injury a couple of minutes later. He grimaced and limped under the basket, leading the Sixers to call timeout after Pritchard hit a three. Embiid headed to the locker room.
He was back on the floor with two minutes left in the third quarter and the Sixers closed the period impressively, showing poise at a time when the game could easily have spiraled out of control.
While Embiid’s had well-documented playoff failures, he’s always been determined to grit through pain and injury in the postseason. This was his second game since returning from an appendectomy. In the big picture of his career, Embiid’s resolve to be on the court at well below 100 percent is a quality that sticks out.
With three-balls from Maxey and George, the Sixers surged in front early in the fourth quarter. An Embiid mid-range jumper gave the Sixers a 90-86 lead.
Embiid kept on providing superstar plays. When doubled down low, he assisted a Grimes three. And when he got the ball on the left block against Queta, Embiid sunk a beautiful fadeaway jumper to extend the Sixers’ advantage to eight points.
During Embiid’s best nights, he has the ability to make just about anything feel possible for the Sixers. The team is still down in the series and still one loss from elimination, but Embiid is a massive reason why they remain alive.
The Mets hadn’t officially listed who their starting pitcher would be for the second game of their series against the Nationals until this afternoon, but it’s official now: David Peterson is getting the start. The 30-year-old lefty had lost his rotation spot after a string of very bad outings, but he’s fared better working multiple innings in relief over his last couple of appearances.
In four starts before moving into the bullpen/bulk role, Peterson had a rather unsightly 6.41 ERA with a 3.33 FIP that suggested he deserved better results and a 5.01 xERA that suggested slightly less ugly results. In those two appearances out of the bullpen after the Mets used Tobias Myers as an opener, Peterson threw a total of 7.0 innings with a 1.29 ERA, a 4.99 FIP, and a 4.07 xERA.
With Kodai Senga having gone on the injured list this afternoon and Christian Scott having been called back up following a poor outing in his first major league start in two years, Peterson will clearly get a shot at sticking in the rotation. In the short term, at least, they don’t have a ton of options, and Peterson and Scott will presumably serve in a five-man rotation alongside Nolan McLean, Clay Holmes, and Freddy Peralta.
