Lakers head coach JJ Redick laces up custom-made Nike sneakers for Autism Acceptance Month

Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick laced up some custom-made sneakers for a good cause on Monday night at Crypto.com Arena. 

Redick wore custom-made Nike sneakers designed by Salt Lake City artist John Millar for the NBA and the NBA Coaches Association in honoring Autism Acceptance Month.

The shoes were designed with the Lakers team colors of purple and gold wrapped around a rainbow infinity symbol, a mark of pride and permanence for the autism community

“It’s a great cause,” said Redick. “It’s bringing awareness and acceptance.”

But then Redick reflected for a moment and told the story of the teenage version of himself spending his free periods in high school helping a classmate with special needs. 

Redick wore custom-made Nike sneakers designed by Salt Lake City artist John Millar for the NBA. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“My junior and senior year I had a free period and I spent those two years working with special needs kids,” recalled Redick. “There was one kid in particular that I worked with. I helped him with math. It was a really humbling experience.” 

Redick also mentioned his friendship with Joe Ingles, an NBA player and father navigating life with an autistic son. Suddenly the cause stopped being abstract and it became personal.

“Anybody who knows me knows that I think all people are equal and loved,” Redick said. 

The initiative also circles back to To The Max Foundation, founded by Utah Jazz assistant Scott Morrison and his wife after their son Max’s autism diagnosis in 2022. 

Across the league, all 30 head coaches joined in the campaign to raise awareness for autism. 

The game-worn sneakers laced up by all the NBA coaches will be signed and head to auction at Sotheby’s in May, with every dollar fueling access, opportunity, and dignity for families who often fight autism quietly and without help.


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Diamondbacks 3B Jose Fernandez becomes 7th MLB player since 1900 with 2 homers in debut

PHOENIX — Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Jose Fernandez strode to the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning during his first big league game in a pressure-packed spot against four-time All-Star closer Kenley Jansen.

The three-run homer that followed capped one of the most powerful MLB regular-season debuts in modern history.

The Venezuelan became just the seventh player since 1900 to hit two homers in his debut, and the second was a go-ahead shot that led the Diamondbacks over the Detroit Tigers 7-5 on Tuesday night.

“I returned to my days as a kid — just a dream come true,” a smiling Fernandez said through an interpreter.

In a strange twist, two of the seven two-homer debuts have occurred over the past six days. Cleveland phenom Chase DeLauter went deep twice in his first career regular-season game last Thursday after making his MLB debut in the playoffs last season.

The 22-year-old Fernandez wasn’t on the D-backs’ opening-day roster, joining the team on Monday after Pavin Smith went on the 10-day injured list with left elbow soreness. He made the most of his first opportunity, finishing with three hits and four RBIs.

Not bad for a guy ranked as the No. 27 prospect in the organization, according to MLB.com

“He deserves all this credit,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “We’re so proud of him. He’s a player who came through our system, through our academy, and it’s a great story, a great baseball story. We’ve known about Jose for a long time. We knew he was coming.”

Fernandez hit an infield single in his first big league at-bat and added a solo homer his next time up. The three-run drive that followed put him in elite company, joining DeLauter, Trevor Story (2016), J.P. Arencibia (2010), Mark Quinn (1999), Bert Campaneris (1964) and Bob Nieman (1951) as players with two-homer debuts.

“Stay calm, keep the emotions in check, I knew something like that could happen,” Fernandez said. “Just look for a pitch.”

Jose Fernandez has finest major-league debut in Arizona Diamondbacks history

PHOENIX — One day, he’s waking up in Reno, Nevada, and is told he’s going to the big leagues.

The next, Jose Fernandez is celebrating the greatest day of his 22-year-old life, with his teammates dousing him with beer and everything else they could find for their overnight hero, who Tuesday night produced the finest major-league debut in Arizona Diamondbacks history.

Fernandez, ranked as only the 27th-best prospect in the Diamondbacks organization, became the eighth player in major-league history to hit two home runs in his debut, with the last one a game-winning, three-run homer in the eighth inning off future Hall of Famer Kenley Jansen in the Diamondbacks’ dramatic comeback 7-5 victory over the Detroit Tigers.

“Grateful, grateful to God,’’ Fernandez said. “More than I could have expected. ... Just a dream come true.’’

This is a kid who was signed as an international player out of Venezuela at the age of 17, spent the past four years in the lower minor leagues, never advancing past Class AA until spending one day at Triple-A this year. He had a strong enough minor league season last year, slashing .272/.321/454 with 17 homers to be placed on the 40-man roster, and opened eyes this spring hitting .280 with an .840 OPS, and three doubles, a triple and three home runs in 25 at-bats.

“He was impressive this spring,’’ Diamondbacks starter Brandon Pfadt said, “so we figured we’d see him at some point.’’

Just not in the first week of the season, playing in place of Nolan Arenado, and putting on one of the greatest hitting exhibitions in a debut in baseball history. He stepped to the plate in the second inning and reached base on an infield single off Tigers starter Casey Mize. He took Mize deep in the fourth inning on a 408-foot homer. And in the eighth, with two outs and two runners on with the D-backs trailing 5-4, he started to walk to the plate. He stopped when Tigers manager A.J. Hinch went to the mound and summoned Jansen, who has 477 career saves, just one shy of Lee Smith for third-place on the all-time saves list.

“I thought it was a unique look against a very young hitter,’’ Hinch said, “who I know was going to be in swing mode would be a tough matchup for him.’’

Fernandez walked back to the dugout and was summoned by D-backs veterans Carlos Santanta and James McCann. They told him to watch out for Jansen’s funky delivery.

“I just tried to talk to him about what kind of movement on the ball Kenley would be throwing,’’ Santanta said. “He’s tough. I just told him to be calm. He can do it.’’

Said D-backs manager Torey Lovullo: “They prepared him the best way they could. And the thing about Jose is that he wasn’t panicking. He wanted to see a pitch, see what they were talking about, and then zeroed in on it. That’s a very mature approach.’’

Fernandez watched Jansen throw a first-pitch cutter over the plate for strike 1. He watched the second pitch for ball 1, another cutter below his knees. Jansen threw another cutter, this one up in the strike zone, and Fernandez sent it 409 feet over the left-field fence for a three-run homer.

“Not the location I wanted,’’ Jansen said, “but sometimes you come in with no room for error, it’s tough. Give credit to him. He put the ball in play and the ball went out."

The Chase Field crowd erupted, and Pfaadt was back in the clubhouse screaming with the players and clubhouse attendants.

“Everybody in here was jumping up and down,’’ Pfaadt said. “Special day for the whole team, especially him and his family. We all cheered for him when he came in. It was really cool.’’

The celebration was so emotional and lasted so long that D-backs manager Torey Lovullo had to tear himself away just to attend the press conference. They were down 5-1 entering the eighth inning, and then a guy who was called up only because first baseman Pavin Smith went on the injured list with elbow inflammation, fulfills a childhood dream.

“What a day for him,’’ Mize said. “It’ll be a part of his story for his whole life, which is unfortunate for me.’’

But one that could be remembered for an awful long time in D-backs folklore.

“What a good moment for this team, this organization,’’ Lovullo said, “for all the people that have been around Jose pushing him, teaching him, and then ultimately it falls on Jose to go out there and let it all shine.

“We’re so proud of him. He’s a player that came through or system, through our academy, and it’s a great story.

“It’s a great baseball story.’’

Jose Fernandez celebrates hitting a three-run home run against the Detroit Tigers in the eighth inning at Chase Field on March 31, 2026.

One that Fernandez can’t wait to share with his family back home in Venezuela, knowing that for a country who took great pride in winning the World Baseball Classic, they now have another reason to celebrate.

“Thankful for the opportunity," Fernandez said. “It's a dream I've had ever since I was five years old, and just thankful for the opportunity that was given to me.’’

He was hoping that he could have shared the joy of being on that WBC championship team, but he wasn’t invited. Instead, he spent the spring opening a whole lot of eyes, paving the way for the most glorious night of his young baseball career.

“Not yet,’’ Fernandez said, “hopefully ..."

Yet, before he could even finish his answer, Diamondbacks teammate Eduardo Rodriguez, and the starting pitcher in Venezuela’s 3-2 championship victory over Team USA, jumped in and provided the answer.

“Oh, he’ll be at the next one all right,’’ Rodriguez said.

Hey, with nights like these, Fernandez just might find himself playing third base for Venezuela in the 2028 Olympics, too.

And, if you’re Fernandez, why stop dreaming now?

Follow Bob Nightengale on Bluesky and X @Bnightengale.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jose Fernandez has incredible MLB debut in Diamondbacks win vs. Tigers

A reverse Webbing!

View from behind of Willy Adames and Luis Arráez with their arms around each other.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 31: Willy Adames #2 and Luis Arraez #1 of the San Francisco Giants embrace during the eighth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on March 31, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images

If you’re new to these parts — “these parts” being the generic internet space surrounding the San Francisco Giants — then you’ll need to familiarize yourself with the lingo. Namely, one phrase: a “Webbing.”

A Webbing is the tragic sequel to a Caining, wherein a star Giants pitcher — first Matt Cain, now Logan Webb — pitches excellently, suppresses runs, and loses thanks to an inept offense. Last year, for instance, Webb allowed two or fewer runs a staggering 21 times, yet the Giants managed to lose seven of those games … and he was even tagged with the losing decision on three occasions.

That did not happen on opening day. San Francisco’s anemic offense was spared the embarrassment of a Webbing due to Webb’s uncharacteristic struggles against the New York Yankees. So Webb’s second start of the year, on Tuesday against the San Diego Padres, offered an opportunity for redemption and equilibrium. It seemed we were destined for our first Webbing of the year.

Instead, we were treated to something much rarer, and so much more delightful: the Reverse Webbing.

A Reverse Webbing, if you couldn’t deduce it, is when Webb doesn’t pitch to his brilliant standards, but it doesn’t matter because the offense displays so much vim and vitality* that the Giants cruise to victory nonetheless.

*I just wanted to see if my CMS would allow me to follow “vim and” with a noun other than “vigor.” WordPress wouldn’t let me pick a non-V word, but once I got the V in there it let me pick a new noun to pair with vim. Just workshopping. Like and subscribe for more experimental word pairings. And now, back to your regularly scheduled programming.

San Francisco’s offense, which was non-existent in their first two games, lifeless in their third game, and just barely functional enough to survive in their fourth game, finally broke out properly. And they wasted positively no time doing so.

On just the second pitch of the game, Willy Adames — mired in another early-season slump — put the Giants on the board. Old friend — and I really do mean “friend,” given his bloated ERA when facing San Francisco — Germán Márquez dropped a meek curveball right into the zone where hitters salivate, and Adames made him pay, with the first home run of the year for the reigning 30-homer streak buster (working title).

But the Giants were not done. On Monday, they had their first multi-run inning of the year, and the taste was fresh in their mouth. Armed with the knowledge that such an activity was legal, the Giants set about rallying. With one out, Heliot Ramos drew a walk. With two outs, Matt Chapman hit a single.

And then came Jung Hoo Lee who, like Adames, has been stuck in a painful slump to start the year, and who, like Adames, broke out with a superstar game. It started with a dose of two-out magic, on a virtually identical pitch to the one Adames had punished. It wasn’t an identical result, as Lee’s fly ball to right field stopped a foot or seven shy of clearing the wall, but it did clear the bases, and left the lefty standing on second with a two-run double.

The Giants had scored three runs in a single inning, after entering the game with just four runs in as many games.

But it became clear in the bottom half of the inning that three runs — unlike on Monday — probably wouldn’t be enough. It was clear that Webb didn’t quite have full control of his pitches. He kept runs off the board in the first inning — no small thing, given that opening frames are his Achilles heel — but it wasn’t particularly pretty, as he worked around a Fernando Tatis Jr. double and a Jackson Merrill walk, while missing the strike zone on 10 of his 21 pitches.

To make matters worse, the Giants spent the next half-inning trying to convince you that their first-inning showing was merely a ruse. Casey Schmitt, Adames, and Rafael Devers strung together back-to-back-to-back one-out singles to load the bases, putting a runner 90 feet away from home with less than two outs. The Giants were staring at a glistening opportunity to prove to you that they were not back on their 2025 BS, and instead had metamorphosed into a team capable of basic situational hitting competency.

Instead, Ramos popped out and Luis Arráez flew out, and the Giants went home empty handed. Webb, meanwhile, returned to the mound for a fairly similar second inning: no runs, but 22 pitches thrown, 10 of which were balls (well, technically, all 22 thrown pitches were balls, but only 12 of those balls were strikes).

The third inning tore us in both directions. It started the way the first did: with a leadoff home run from a scuffling star. This time it was Chapman, who worked the count in his favor before Márquez crossed the plate with a fastball right in Chappy’s happy zone, and it was launched deep into the Southern California air.

With that, the Giants had matched their season’s run total in just the opening third of the game, and gifted their ace a 4-0 lead. But it was in that same inning that Webb’s lack of sharpness finally caught up to him.

After retiring Jake Cronenworth to open the inning, Webb issued back-to-back five-pitch walks to Tatis and Manny Machado, as life returned to Petco Park. Merrill, who possesses the type of ownage against Webb that makes you question everything you know about baseball, blistered a single into right field, scoring a run and getting San Diego on the board.

What followed was the rare baseball play where you can see, in real time, an exact moment where a manager helps his team in a quantifiable way. After Xander Bogaerts worked the count full, first-year manager Craig Stammen had Merrill take off for second. Bogaerts rolled the ball directly to his counterpart Adames, but with Merrill on the move, the only play was at first. Rather than an inning-ending double play, it was an RBI fielder’s choice, and one that kept the line moving so that Miguel Andujar could cap a three-run inning with an RBI single.

The Padres had pulled within a run, and it was another long, ball-filled inning for Webb, who missed the zone on 12 of his 25 pitches. He just didn’t quite have it, and it would be up to his offense to star.

His offense starred. They didn’t stop with those four runs, and instead added four more in the sixth inning. First they flirted with another frustrating inning, after Harrison Bader led off with a double and Patrick Bailey drew a walk, but Casey Schmitt failed to get down a bunt before ultimately striking out.

But Adames would not let it be. The shortstop was deep in his bag, as the basketball writers say (not that I know anything about them), and singled home a run as part of a 4-5 day that finished a triple short of the cycle.

The insurance run was in, but the Giants weren’t done. In a comical but mesmerizing scene, Devers absolutely tore down the first base line to leg out an infield single, which brought up a situation that can either be tragic or deeply satisfying: the revenge at-bat.

Yes, for the second time in the game, Ramos stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and just one out. There would be no soft pop-out this time. Instead, Ramos jumped on a Bradgley Rodriguez sinker that found the heart of the plate, skillfully taking it the other way and through the hole, plating a pair of runs with a single.

The route was on, but not over. Thanks to Devers making it to third on Ramos’ single, Arráez could — and would — knock in the fourth run of the inning with a sacrifice fly, and then start a final rally in the ninth inning, when he bopped a leadoff single, and was pinch-run for by Jared Oliva. Doing exactly what he’s on the roster to do, Oliva easily stole second base, prompting a throw into center field that allowed him to take third. With two outs, Lee missed his third double of the day by about two feet … then settled right back in and blooped an RBI single.

San Francisco’s offense had done what it set out to do, and it had taken all the pressure off of Webb, giving him nine runs — something they achieved in just three of his 34 starts a year ago. And yet, while the offense justifiably was the star of the show, Webb quietly went about reversing his own fortunes as well.

After those three stressful innings in which he gave up three runs, struggled to find the strike zone, and saw his bullpen get loose in the third inning, Webb settled back into the ace that we all know and love. He set down the side in order in the fourth inning, needing just 13 pitches. He showed off his newfound strikeout stuff (Est. 2025) with a thoroughly dominant fifth inning, in which he struck out Tatis on four pitches, struck out Machado on four pitches, and then struck out Merrill on three pitches, finishing just two balls shy of an immaculate inning.

And in the sixth — an inning it once seemed impossible that he’d make it to — he got back to his old tricks, forcing three ground balls and giddily watching as the left side of his infield casually and artfully ate them all up.

It was a remarkable display of turning things around, as Webb, despite giving up three hits and four walks, retired the final 10 batters he faced. Webb said after the game that he made mechanical tweaks late in the start, while Tony Vitello summed it up nicely, stating, “That’ll be one of my favorite outings of the year even though you could take a step back and say it was one of the uglier ones too.”

In the end, the 9-3 victory was the best-case scenario. The offense broke out, and showed Webb that they can carry him. He doesn’t need to do all the heavy lifting. And yet, along the way, he rediscovered his ability to do so.

Can’t ask for much more than that.

Houston plays Milwaukee, seeks 4th straight victory

Milwaukee Bucks (30-45, 11th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Houston Rockets (46-29, sixth in the Western Conference)

Houston; Wednesday, 8 p.m. EDT

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Rockets -17.5; over/under is 217.5

BOTTOM LINE: Houston heads into a matchup against Milwaukee as winners of three games in a row.

The Rockets are 26-10 on their home court. Houston leads the Western Conference in rebounding, averaging 48.1 boards. Alperen Sengun leads the Rockets with 8.9 rebounds.

The Bucks are 13-24 on the road. Milwaukee is 17-30 in games decided by 10 or more points.

The Rockets average 11.3 made 3-pointers per game this season, 3.5 fewer makes per game than the Bucks allow (14.8). The Bucks are shooting 47.7% from the field, 1.8% higher than the 45.9% the Rockets' opponents have shot this season.

The teams play for the second time this season. The Rockets won the last meeting 122-115 on Nov. 9. Kevin Durant scored 31 points to help lead the Rockets to the victory.

TOP PERFORMERS: Durant is averaging 25.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists for the Rockets. Amen Thompson is averaging 18.9 points over the last 10 games.

Bobby Portis is averaging 13.7 points and 6.4 rebounds for the Bucks. Ryan Rollins is averaging 18.7 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Rockets: 6-4, averaging 115.1 points, 47.8 rebounds, 28.9 assists, 8.1 steals and 5.8 blocks per game while shooting 48.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 109.3 points per game.

Bucks: 3-7, averaging 107.9 points, 38.8 rebounds, 24.3 assists, 8.0 steals and 3.8 blocks per game while shooting 46.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 121.3 points.

INJURIES: Rockets: Fred VanVleet: out for season (acl), Steven Adams: out for season (ankle).

Bucks: Gary Harris: day to day (groin), Kevin Porter Jr.: day to day (knee), Thanasis Antetokounmpo: day to day (calf), Giannis Antetokounmpo: out (ankle), Bobby Portis: day to day (wrist).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Hornets host the Suns for out-of-conference game

Phoenix Suns (42-33, seventh in the Western Conference) vs. Charlotte Hornets (40-36, 10th in the Eastern Conference)

Charlotte, North Carolina; Thursday, 7 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: The Charlotte Hornets host the Phoenix Suns in non-conference action.

The Hornets are 19-19 on their home court. Charlotte ranks fourth in the Eastern Conference at limiting opponent scoring, allowing just 111.4 points while holding opponents to 46.7% shooting.

The Suns are 18-19 in road games. Phoenix is 7-10 in one-possession games.

The Hornets average 16.2 made 3-pointers per game this season, 4.1 more made shots on average than the 12.1 per game the Suns allow. The Suns are shooting 45.4% from the field, 1.3% lower than the 46.7% the Hornets' opponents have shot this season.

The teams square off for the second time this season. In the last meeting on March 9 the Suns won 111-99 led by 30 points from Devin Booker, while LaMelo Ball scored 22 points for the Hornets.

TOP PERFORMERS: Ball is averaging 19.6 points and 7.1 assists for the Hornets. Brandon Miller is averaging 19.0 points over the last 10 games.

Booker is scoring 25.7 points per game with 3.9 rebounds and 6.0 assists for the Suns. Jalen Green is averaging 19.8 points and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 45.5% over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Hornets: 7-3, averaging 118.7 points, 45.5 rebounds, 25.7 assists, 6.7 steals and 3.5 blocks per game while shooting 47.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 105.3 points per game.

Suns: 3-6, averaging 115.5 points, 42.6 rebounds, 26.5 assists, 8.9 steals and 4.7 blocks per game while shooting 45.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.9 points.

INJURIES: Hornets: None listed.

Suns: Mark Williams: out (foot), Haywood Highsmith: day to day (knee), Amir Coffey: day to day (ankle).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Orlando and Atlanta meet in conference matchup

Atlanta Hawks (43-33, fifth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Orlando Magic (39-35, eighth in the Eastern Conference)

Orlando, Florida; Wednesday, 7 p.m. EDT

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Hawks -4.5; over/under is 233.5

BOTTOM LINE: Jalen Johnson and the Atlanta Hawks visit Paolo Banchero and the Orlando Magic on Wednesday.

The Magic have gone 24-24 against Eastern Conference opponents. Orlando ranks seventh in the Eastern Conference with 50.7 points per game in the paint led by Franz Wagner averaging 10.9.

The Hawks are 8-6 against the rest of the division. Atlanta is second in the league scoring 18.2 fast break points per game. Nickeil Alexander-Walker leads the Hawks averaging 4.1.

The Magic average 11.8 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.3 fewer makes per game than the Hawks allow (13.1). The Hawks are shooting 47.3% from the field, 0.4% lower than the 47.7% the Magic's opponents have shot this season.

The teams play for the fourth time this season. In the last meeting on March 16 the Hawks won 124-112 led by 41 points from Alexander-Walker, while Desmond Bane scored 18 points for the Magic.

TOP PERFORMERS: Banchero is scoring 22.6 points per game with 8.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists for the Magic. Bane is averaging 16.5 points and 3.6 rebounds while shooting 45.9% over the last 10 games.

Johnson is scoring 22.9 points per game and averaging 10.2 rebounds for the Hawks. Alexander-Walker is averaging 3.5 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Magic: 2-7, averaging 113.6 points, 39.6 rebounds, 24.0 assists, 7.3 steals and 2.0 blocks per game while shooting 45.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 122.0 points per game.

Hawks: 8-2, averaging 121.5 points, 43.5 rebounds, 30.1 assists, 9.1 steals and 4.0 blocks per game while shooting 48.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.8 points.

INJURIES: Magic: Franz Wagner: out (ankle), Anthony Black: out (abdomen), Jonathan Isaac: out (knee).

Hawks: Jock Landale: day to day (illness).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Holiday scores 30, Avdija adds 28 to help Trail Blazers beat Clippers

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Deni Avdija had 28 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, Jrue Holiday hit seven 3s and finished with 30 points, and the Portland Trail Blazers snapped the Los Angeles Clippers' five-game win streak, 114-104 on Tuesday night.

The Clippers (39-37) are eighth in the Western Conference, a half-game in front of the ninth-place Blazers (39-38). Los Angeles leads the season series — which wraps up April 10 in Portland — with the Blazers 2-1.

Toumani Camara scored 17 points and Scoot Henderson added 15 for the Trail Blazers.

Kawhi Leonard led the Clippers with 23 points. Darius Garland scored 20, Brook Lopez 18, John Collins added 17 and Jordan Miller 16 points.

Leonard has scored at least 20 points in 52 consecutive games, the second-longest active streak of its kind in the NBA (Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has a 136 game streak).

Matisse Thybulle hit a 3-pointer that made it 31-29 with 1:06 left in the first quarter and the Blazers led the rest of the way.

Garland made a bucket in the lane that trimmed the Clippers' deficit to eight with 3:44 left in the third quarter but they got no closer. Henderson hit a step-back 3 at the buzzer to cap a 16-5 run that made it 91-74 going into the fourth.

Portland had 18 offensive rebounds and 32 second-chance points. The Blazers went into the game leading the NBA in second-chance points (18.2 per game) and are second in offensive rebounds (14.1 per game).

Avdija made 11 of 12 from the free-throw line and has 31 games this season with at least 10 free-throw attempts, second most in the NBA behind Luka Doncic.

Portland's Jerami Grant (calf) missed his second consecutive game.

Up next

Trail Blazers: Host New Orleans on Wednesday.

Clippers: Host San Antonio on Thursday.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Shohei Ohtani dazzles over six scoreless innings to key Dodgers win

Cold weather? Rainy conditions? And a lineup that provided little run support until late?

For Shohei Ohtani, none of it was a problem Tuesday.

In his official return to full-time two-way duties, the four-time MVP didn’t disappoint.

Ever since his signing in Los Angeles, Ohtani and the Dodgers have been waiting for this moment –– when, now more than two years removed from a second-career Tommy John surgery, he will finally be available to pitch and hit over the course of a full season.

And in a 4-1 win over the Cleveland Guardians, he kicked the campaign off in dominantly promising fashion, spinning six scoreless, one-hit innings on the mound while also reaching base three times as a hitter.

“I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to that,” teammate Max Muncy said. “It’s pretty special. It’s really hard to put into words when you see it in person.”

Last year, the Dodgers (4-1) didn’t get to see this version of Ohtani, even after he returned to pitching midway through the season.

He was still building up slowly. His arsenal was often restricted to two or three pitches. And while he was superb in his 47 total innings, striking out 62 batters with a 2.87 ERA, he didn’t complete six frames in a game until his final outing of the regular season.

This year, he did it right out of the gate, striking out six batters in an 87-pitch gem.

Ohtani kept the Guardians guessing by mixing six different pitches. AP
The four-time MVP pitched six scoreless, one-hit innings. AP

Despite making only two pitching starts this spring while being away from camp for the World Baseball Classic, Ohtani came out firing, retiring his first seven in a row and allowing no hits until the fourth.

He kept the Guardians (3-3) guessing by mixing six different pitches, collecting two strikeouts each with his sweeper, splitter and curveball.

It didn’t matter that most of the game was played amid a continuous drizzle, or that he raced between a wet mound and damp batter’s box as the team’s leadoff hitter.

One start in, he was already stoking Cy Young expectations that had been building during spring training.

“I expect nothing short of almost a Cy Young out of him,” Muncy declared.

“He’s just unflappable,” manager Dave Roberts added. “Not a whole lot kind of affects his mind.”

 Kyle Tucker after hitting a single during the first inning.  Getty Images

What it means

That every time Ohtani takes the mound, the Dodgers will be tough to beat.

How often that happens remains somewhat unclear. While Ohtani will make regular turns through the starting rotation, the Dodgers will also look to bank him extra days off between some outings. Anything more than 25 starts or 140-150 innings is likely to be unrealistic.

The Dodgers could ride Ohtani’s arm harder, of course. They could maximize his Cy Young chances by giving him a more traditional starter’s workload.

However, they will be playing the long game with the 31-year-old this year, remaining mindful of his workload and prioritizing his late-season availability.

“First and foremost, he’s shown that he’s team-driven,” Roberts said pregame. “But also there’s some individual things that he certainly wants to achieve, which is a good thing.”

Who’s hot

Many of the Dodgers’ biggest bats have yet to get going. Muncy, however, has been an exception.

The veteran slugger is getting on base like usual, drawing what was already his fourth walk of the season in his first at-bat Tuesday. Then, he went deep for the first time this year with a key solo homer in the sixth, winning a lefty-lefty matchup against Guardians reliever Kolby Allard to double what was only a 1-0 lead.

“He was facing a lefty and just trying to put a good swing on it, and homered,” Roberts said. “So “That’s a good sign.”

Muncy was involved again in the eighth, lining a single as part of a two-run rally that put the game away.

With that, the third baseman is now batting .364 (4-for-11) and has reached safely in eight of his 15 trips to the plate.

“I feel really comfortable up there,” Muncy said. “Some of the stuff we worked on is sticking really well right now, and just got to keep progressing into the season.”

Mookie Betts makes a leaping grab in the the third inning.  AP

Who’s not

On Tuesday? Quite literally, the newly-named Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium, which was drenched by a steady drizzle of rain from the fourth inning on.

The showers were expected, with the ballpark’s grounds crew towing a rarely-used tarp out of storage in the afternoon in preparation for the rain fall.

And while the cover wasn’t ultimately needed, the playing surface clearly suffered. At the end of Ohtani’s outing in the sixth inning, Roberts walked out of the dugout following a four-pitch walk to request new dirt be applied to the bump.

In the ninth, closer Edwin Díaz also struggled with the conditions. He hit his first batter, walked the next and eventually gave up a run, before settling down to finish the game without further drama.

Up next

The Dodgers will get their first rubber-match contest of the season on Wednesday, trying to take two of three from the Guardians in what will be an early 5:10 p.m. start. Yoshinobu Yamamoto will get the start against right-hander Gavin Williams.


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Max Fried brilliant as Yankees blank Mariners

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MARCH 31: Max Fried #54 of the New York Yankees reacts during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on March 31, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Yankees got exactly the response they needed Tuesday night, bouncing back from their first loss of the season with a 5-0 win over the Mariners in Seattle. After Monday’s frustrating walk-off defeat, New York handed the ball to Max Fried on normal rest thanks to Sunday’s rare offday, and the ace delivered exactly the kind of outing you hope for coming off a defeat.

The Yankees wasted no time jumping on M’s Opening Day starter Logan Gilbert. With two outs in the top of the first, Cody Bellinger singled up the middle and came all the way around from first when Ben Rice ripped a double down the right-field line and off the wall.

Giancarlo Stanton kept the rally alive by dropping a lazy fly ball into no man’s land around where Rice’s ball ended up, plating Rice from second (pun fully intended) and giving New York a quick 2-0 lead, already topping their Monday output. The early traffic immediately put Gilbert under pressure, forcing the Mariners’ right-hander to throw 28 pitches in the opening frame.

The Yankees put the leadoff man on in both the third and fourth innings and had chances to create separation, but Aaron Judge and Stanton each grounded into inning-killing double plays that allowed Seattle’s starter to keep the deficit manageable.

That changed in the sixth.

Trent Grisham sparked the inning by bouncing an automatic double over the wall in right. After Gilbert got Judge to chase for a strikeout, Cody Bellinger punched a single up the middle to put runners at the corners and keep the pressure on.

The Yankees then forced the issue. Bellinger broke for second, and a rare throwing error by Platinum Glove defender Cal Raleigh allowed Grisham to score, stretching the lead to 3-0.

A walk to Rice brought Stanton back to the plate, and the Yankees’ designated hitter ripped a double into left field, scoring Bellinger and moving Rice to third. The hit chased Gilbert from the game after 5.2 innings. Stanton has now registered multi-hit games in each of the Yankees’ first five contests of the year — a rarity in franchise history. Fittingly, he ended the night hitting .500 across 20 PA in the season’s first road trip.

The Seattle pitching change did little to slow the Yankees’ momentum.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. immediately greeted Cole Wilcox with a line drive single to right, bringing Rice home to make it 5-0. Jazz then swiped second, giving New York its second stolen base of the inning and putting even more pressure on Seattle before Wilcox finally escaped the jam.

While the offense gave him plenty of support, Fried did not need any more than what the offense gifted him to start the game. He was in complete control from the jump, carving through the Mariners lineup for seven shutout innings. Through six, Seattle managed just one hit while Fried piled up six strikeouts and consistently stayed ahead in counts, even calling for an ABS challenge himself to get a ball-one call overturned in the fourth.

Fried’s biggest challenge came in the seventh. Julio Rodríguez opened the inning with a single, but Fried immediately erased the threat by getting Josh Naylor to bounce into a crisp 6-3 double play. A hit batter and Brendan Donovan single suddenly gave Seattle its best chance of the night, putting two aboard with two outs.

Fried calmly reset, tapped the PitchCom on his belt, and worked Victor Robles into a routine fly ball to Aaron Judge in right to end the inning and slam the door on Seattle’s last real threat. His final line was everything the Yankees could have asked for: seven innings, three hits, no runs, one walk, six strikeouts, and 90 pitches, 60 for strikes.

Through Fried’s first 13.1 innings this season, he has now allowed just five hits, two walks, and zero runs while striking out 10, looking every bit like the ace southpaw the Yankee front office dreamt he would be when he signed.

And maybe the only pitcher capable of slowing down Aaron Judge right now is his own ace. Judge is now 0-for-9 with six strikeouts in Fried’s first two starts, a funny little side note to what has otherwise been total Yankees dominance. New York has now outscored opponents 12-0 in Fried’s two outings.

Brent Headrick followed Fried with a relatively clean eighth inning, allowing a single to Cole Young before blowing a fastball past the Monday night hero Raleigh for a strikeout to end the frame. Tim Hill then took care of the ninth, working a clean inning to officially lock down the Yankees’ 5-0 bounce-back win.

The Yankees now hand Wednesday’s getaway-day finale to Cam Schlittler, who will face George Kirby in another premium pitching matchup. Schlittler was electric to open the year, with eight strikeouts in 5.1 innings. Kirby impressed in his first start striking out six in six innings of one-run ball. Will the Yankees bats get to Kirby and let Cam take the series tomorrow? First pitch is at 4:10pm ET.

Box Score

Yankees pitching continues historic start to season with shutout of Mariners: 'We're just trying to keep it rolling'

Many in baseball knew the Yankees pitching staff was good, but you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who would have predicted the historic start to the 2026 season they are putting up.

Tuesday's 5-0 win over the Mariners capped off a five-game stretch where Yankees pitching was the most dominant in baseball. And it even made history.

Across the first five games of the season, Yankees pitching has allowed just three earned runs. According to Katie Sharp, that's tied with the 1943 Cardinals for the fewest in MLB history since 1900.

Digging a little deeper, Yankees starters have allowed just one run across those first five games, and the team as a whole has already thrown three shutouts. When asked if he anticipated his staff pitching this well, manager Aaron Boone admitted he didn't.

"We definitely like our pitching. I don't know if you draw up this many shutouts and all that early on, I don't care how good your pitching is. It doesn't usually work that seamlessly," he said. "It's a great start for those guys in there. They're pitching with a lot of confidence. They're executing. Austin [Wells] and JC [Escarra] are doing a great job back there with them. And then playing well behind them with our defense, and add it all up, and there's been a lot of zeros."

“We have a lot of really talented guys that are really motivated, and we've been waiting for this opportunity to have the season start and go and compete," Max Fried said. "We want to go in, and we're leaving everything out there, so we got a lot of, like I said, really good arms, and we’re throwing the ball really well right now. So we're just trying to keep it rolling.”

Fried is a big part of the early success. After grinding through 6.1 scoreless innings on Opening Day in San Francisco, the southpaw looked more like his dominant self from a season ago, tossing seven scoreless against the high-powered Mariners lineup.

The 32-year-old said his success on Tuesday was due to being able to throw his various pitches for strikes and working well with Escarra to keep changing speeds.

"There were times where I was just fighting to throw strikes [in my last start]," Fried explained. "I felt like I was actually able to locate today, which made things a lot easier. But you got to go out there and really execute against a team like that. That's a really good club up there."

"He was terrific tonight," Boone said. "He was on point from the start, just in total control of the game. Had everything kind of going for him, different ways to get you out. I thought he changed speeds really, really well, had good life to his fastball just back and forth. Used all his secondary. Until a couple guys got on there in that final inning in the seventh there, felt like he was cruising."

Fried has pitched at least six scoreless innings in both of his outings to start the season, which has earned the southpaw a spot in Yankees history. He's now tied with five others with two such starts. The record holder is three by Ray Caldwell in 1914. Fried will get his chance to match that franchise record next week.

As for the team as a whole, the Yankees have now started the season 4-1 heading into their rubber game against the Mariners on Wednesday afternoon. Cam Schlittler, who pitched 5.1 scoreless innings in his first start, will look to continue this string of dominance for Yankees pitching.

Lakers pick up 50th win of season with victory over Cavaliers

The Lakers didn’t need Luka Doncic to take care of business in Monday night’s win over the Wizards as he served his one-game suspension because of an accumulation of technical fouls

But they needed every bit of the MVP-caliber play carried into Tuesday night to blow out the Cavaliers 127-113 at Crypto.com Arena.

Doncic got off to another one of his signature hot starts to keep the Lakers afloat in the midst of the Cavaliers’ hot start on the second night of a back-to-back for both teams, with the 27-year-old Slovenian guard having 14 points and 4 assists in the first quarter to help the Lakers only trail by two after the first period. 

From there, Doncic and the Lakers blitzed the Cavaliers, who blew out the Lakers in similar fashion two months ago in Cleveland. 

Doncic led the Lakers with a 42-point, 12-assist double-double in 34 minutes, to go with 5 rebounds, continuing his career-best steak of scoring at least 30 points (13 games).

Doncic contests a three by Keon Ellis of the Cavaliers. NBAE via Getty Images
Deandre Ayton goes up for a rebound. NBAE via Getty Images

The Lakers outscored the Cavaliers 78-49 in the middle two quarters, giving them a 110-83 lead going into the final quarter.

The Cavaliers’ all-bench lineup to start the fourth made it a closer game than it was during the competitive portions.

Austin Reaves recorded 19 points (6-of-16 shooting), 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, while Deandre Ayton added 18 points and 9 rebounds (six offensive rebounds). 

LeBron James had 14 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds during a game he surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most combined regular-season and playoff wins, moving to 1,229.

Jake LaRavia added 14 points (5-of-5 shooting) and 7 rebounds, while Rui Hachimura scored 14 points, surpassing 5,000 career points. 

What it means

The Lakers already clinched a playoff spot before beating the Cavaliers thanks to the Suns’ loss to the Magic, but the victory gave them their 50th win of the season.  

They went 15-2 in March, and have won 16 of their last 18 games. 

LeBron James offers some fatherly advice during the first half. AP
Austin Reaves recorded 19 points with 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. NBAE via Getty Images

Turning point

When Reaves threw an alley-oop to James at the 7:43 mark of the third quarter in transition.

The Lakers were already up 78-63 before the highlight play, but the Cavaliers were sticking around. 

They closed out the third quarter 30-20 from there.

MVP: Luka Doncic

With his 42nd point on Tuesday, Doncic reached 600 points in the month of March. 

He’s just the second player in NBA history to reach the 600-point mark in March, joining Michael Jordan (March 1987), and is one of only 10 players ever to record a 600-point month. 

Stat of the game: 15,000

Doncic surpassed 15,000 career points on Tuesday, becoming the third-youngest player in NBA history to hit the milestone.

Only James (25 years, 79 days) and Kevin Durant (26 years, 78 days) were younger than Doncic (27 years, 31 days) when they reached 15,000 career points.

Bronny James was all smiles during the Cavaliers game. NBAE via Getty Images

Up next

The Lakers will head back on the road to play the defending NBA champions, the Thunder, on Thursday.

They’ll close out the trip against the Mavericks on Sunday.


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Dodgers 2026 game results

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 17: A "Welcome to Dodger Stadium" sign is displayed before the game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on September 17, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Here are the results and details of every Los Angeles Dodgers game for 2026, from the beginning of the regular season through however long they last in the postseason.

For additional details on each game, click on the game scores below. That will take you to a recap of that particular game. We also have a section on the site dedicated to Dodgers scores and standings where you can also find these stories.

Here are the scores and details of every game in 2026, in reverse chronological order.

Adames launches leadoff homer and finishes with 4 hits as Giants back Webb in 9-3 win over Padres

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Willy Adames had four hits, including a leadoff homer, and San Francisco ace Logan Webb finished strong in the Giants' 9-3 victory over the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night.

Adames sent Germán Márquez's second pitch for the Padres over the left-field wall to spark a three-run inning with his first home run this season. Adames also doubled and delivered an RBI single that ignited a four-run sixth after San Diego cut it to 4-3.

Matt Chapman hit his first homer — a solo shot in the third for a 4-0 lead — before Webb ran into trouble in the bottom half. He walked Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado with one out. Jackson Merrill and Miguel Andujar had RBI singles sandwiched around a run-scoring groundout by Xander Bogaerts, but that was it for the Padres as they fell to 1-4 before a fifth straight sellout crowd.

Webb (1-1) allowed three hits and walked four before retiring his final 10 batters. He threw 104 pitches in six innings. JT Brubaker and José Buttó finished up for the Giants.

Jung Hoo Lee had three of San Francisco's 16 hits, including a two-run double with two outs in the first and an RBI single in the ninth. Heliot Ramos hit a two-run single in the sixth, and Luis Arraez added a sacrifice fly against his former team.

Márquez (0-1), who spent his first 10 seasons with the Rockies, allowed four runs and eight hits in three innings. Kyle Hart was charged with four runs in 2 1/3 innings.

San Diego has just eight extra-base hits this season.

Up next

RHP Adrian Houser makes his first start for the Giants in Wednesday's series finale opposite RHP Nick Pivetta (0-1).

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb