Orlando received its third flagrant foul in as many games when Cole Anthony pulled Brown to the floor in the second quarter. The Celtics star writhed in pain after landing awkwardly on his hand, but he stayed in the game.
After the game, Brown revealed he injured his finger on the play.
“I dislocated my index finger, but I got nine more. So I’m all right,” he told reporters.
The Magic’s first flagrant in the series was Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s hard foul on Jayson Tatum, who injured his wrist on the play and was forced to miss Game 2 due to the injury. Goga Bitadze earned the second flagrant with the elbow that bloodied Porzingis in Game 2.
Orlando’s three flagrants account for a fraction of the team’s hard fouls in the series thus far. If the trend continues, Brown believes tensions could boil over.
“There might be a fight break out or something,” Brown said. “Because it’s starting to feel like it’s not even basketball, and the refs are not controlling the environment. So it is what it is. If you want to fight it out, we can do that. We can fight to see who goes to the second round.”
“Definitely was a physical game,” Brown added. “They got away with a lot. When you get away with it, I would do it too. We’ll be ready for Game 4.”
The C’s will look to bounce back from a brutal Game 3 loss in which they scored only 11 third-quarter points and finished with 19 turnovers. Brown and co-star Jayson Tatum combined for 13 of those TOs.
Boston has a 2-1 series lead heading into Game 4 on Sunday at Kia Center. Tip-off for the matchup is set at 7 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Boston.
Former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag has reignited his long-running feud with Glenn Maxwell, accusing the Australian batter of treating the Indian Premier League as a “holiday”.
SAN FRANCISCO – Two decades of MLB pitching experience have taught Justin Verlander a few things. High atop that list is the ability to stay calm even when things aren’t going as planned.
That’s primarily why the three-time Cy Young Award winner has maintained his confidence and focus on the positives while still looking for his first win in a Giants uniform.
Take Friday night, for example.
Coming off his best start of the year when the bullpen melted down in the ninth inning and cost the nine-time MLB All-Star a win against the Los Angeles Angels nearly a week ago, Verlander followed that up with a steady and solid effort in the Giants’ 2-0 loss to the Texas Rangers at Oracle Park.
Verlander readily admitted there still are parts to his game that he wants to clean up, but he has found plenty of reasons to stay optimistic even though the results have yet to bear out.
In some ways, Verlander believes he’s getting closer to returning to the form that made him one of MLB’s most dominant pitchers.
“It’s definitely encouraging,” Verlander told reporters in the Giants’ clubhouse. “This game can beat you down in a hurry, so you want to try to focus on positives. It’s harder to do that when the team doesn’t win.”
The Giants have won only twice in Verlander’s six starts this season and had to rally to win both times after Verlander was chased from the game.
Verlander showed signs of coming out of his funk on April 20 when he limited the Angels to two hits and one run over six innings.
Now that he followed that up with a strong outing against the Rangers, it appears the skies are opening up for Verlander and the Giants.
“Really good,” manager Bob Melvin said. “Six innings, two runs, walked one, got out of a jam when he needed to with a punch-out and the double play. Typically, that’ll win you a game. We just didn’t do much with their pitching tonight.”
That might be one of the biggest understatements of the season.
Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi handcuffed San Francisco’s offense all night. The Giants managed to get just one runner to second base, and that came off an Eovaldi wild pitch in the fifth.
Beyond that, it was pretty much bupkis at the plate.
That San Francisco was still within range to win the game at the end was largely credited to Verlander, who retired seven in a row and 13 of 15 at one point.
“Going the right direction,” Verlander said. “I would like to clean up a little bit out of the stretch. Some of the outs tonight out of the stretch were really difficult. Out of the full it felt really good. Got out-pitched tonight. Hard pill to swallow.”
That’s where Verlander’s experience as a veteran pitcher has come into play. He’s fully aware of the length of the season and the ups and downs that come along the way, thus he stays on the same straight line, win or lose.
“It does make it a bit easier,” Verlander said. “That’s what allows me to really judge myself based on what can be successful long-term versus what was one good start or not. The last couple have been much better. I think I can be quite successful pitching like that.
“I do think, being very critical of myself, there’s still some areas I would like to improve. I try not to be a perfectionist, but I also think there’s some areas, especially with my slider, I need to be a bit better.”
Verlander has slowly been moving in that direction the last few weeks. He remains 38 victories shy of joining the 300-win club, but before that, the next stop is getting that elusive first win with the Giants.
The Florida Panthers have had a fantastic start to the 2025 NHL playoffs. After defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning by a 6-2 final score in Game 1, the Panthers followed that up with a hard-fought 2-0 win over the Bolts in Game 2. With this, they are now heading back home for Games 3 and 4 with a 2-0 series lead.
As expected, the Panthers' top stars like Sergei Bobrovsky, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, and Aleksander Barkov have been big reasons for the team's early success in this series. However, veteran defenseman Nate Schmidt has also been a major difference-maker for the Panthers this series, scoring three goals in just two games.
According to NHL Public Relations, Schmidt has tied an NHL record with the most goals scored by a defenseman through the first two games of the playoffs. The only other blueliners in NHL history to achieve this same feat are Nicklas Lindstrom (Detroit Red Wings, 1995), Steve Chiasson (Red Wings, 1991), Mike O'Connell (Boston Bruins, 1981), Dick Redmond (Chicago Blackhawks, 1973), and George Boucher (Ottawa Senators, 1921).
This is undoubtedly a nice accomplishment for Schmidt and shows just how impressive he has played early on. He has also already matched his current career high in playoff goals, as he also scored three in 20 games during the 2018 NHL playoffs with the Vegas Golden Knights.
Since signing a one-year, $800,000 contract with the Panthers this past off-season, Schmidt has provided solid value to Florida's blueline. He has simply fit in nicely with the Panthers, posting five goals, 19 points, and a plus-4 rating in 80 games. Now, he is giving them great value in the playoffs early on and continuing to show the Panthers that they made the right call taking a shot on after the Winnipeg Jets bought him out.
On Saturday, April 26, and the Houston Rockets (52-30) and Golden State Warriors (48-34) are all set to square off from Chase Center in San Francisco.
In the last game, the Houston Rockets were able to level the series. Unfortunately, the Warriors last Jimmy Butler in that game. His status for game three remains up in the air.
The Rockets are currently 23-17 on the road with a point differential of 5, while the Warriors have a 6-4 record in their last ten games at home.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Listen to the Rotoworld Basketball Show for the latest fantasy player news, waiver claims, roster advice and more from our experts all season long. Click here or download it wherever you get your podcasts.
Game details & how to watch Rockets vs. Warriors live today
Date: Saturday, April 26, 2025
Time: 8:30PM EST
Site: Chase Center
City: San Francisco, CA
Network/Streaming: ESPN2
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day NBA schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game.
Game odds for Rockets vs. Warriors
The latest odds as of Saturday:
Odds: Rockets (+133), Warriors (-157)
Spread: Warriors -3
Over/Under: 203 points
That gives the Rockets an implied team point total of 100.86, and the Warriors 102.42.
Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports’ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more!
Expert picks & predictions for Saturday’s Rockets vs. Warriors game
NBC Sports Bet Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Rockets & Warriors game:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Golden State Warriors on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Houston Rockets at +3.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the over on the Game Total of 203.
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions page from NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!
Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Rockets vs. Warriors on Saturday
The Rockets have lost 9 of their last 10 away games against teams with winning records
The Rockets' last 6 versus the Warriors have stayed under the Total
The Rockets covered the spread in 52% of their regular season games (43-39-0)
The Rockets have gone 22-19 on the road against the spread this season
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Bet the Edge is your source for all things sports betting. Get all of Jay Croucher and Drew Dinsick’s insight weekdays at 6AM ET right here or wherever you get your favorite podcasts.
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Fast bowler Harshal Patel grabbed four wickets and Kamindu Mendis showed his allround skill as Sunrisers Hyderabad upstaged Chennai Super Kings by five wickets in Chennai on Friday.
Some believe that the Montreal Canadiens are as good as buried down 2-0 against the Washington Capitals in their first-round series. Others believe that you’re not in trouble in the Stanley Cup playoffs until you’ve lost a game at home, and then there’s John Scott.
Former NHL enforcer and one-time Canadiens player John Scott had this to say on X this morning:
Big game in Montreal tonight. I could honestly see the Habs taking the next two games at home and tying the series. They've been right there. I believe #GoHabsGo
While Scott only suited up for one game with the Habs, he did skate in 286 NHL games, most of which were with the Buffalo Sabres. The tough guy racked up 544 penalty minutes in his career and was elected to the All-Star Game during the 2015-16 season when a “Vote John Scott in the All-Star Game campaign took social media by storm.
He played for the Arizona Coyotes then but was traded to the Canadiens along with Victor Bartley in return for Jared Tinordi and Stefan Fournier. The Habs immediately sent him down to the St. John’s Ice Caps. Some believed the trade aimed to keep him out of the All-Star Game, but he did participate. He was even named the MVP of the game, thanks to scoring two goals and another social media campaign.
After the event, the NHL amended its rule book to make players demoted to the AHL ineligible to play in its All-Star Game. Whichever way you look at it, Scott was liked by the fans, and after that post, he must have conquered a few new fans in Montreal.
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The disturbing downfall of Australian Test star Michael Slater has been laid bare in court, revealing months of alcohol-fuelled violence, stalking, and threats, including two brutal strangulation attacks. The former Australian Test cricketer was sentenced to four years in jail for the series of violent and horrific domestic violence offences, but was immediately released on a fully suspended sentence after already spending more than a year in custody.
The Stanley Cup Playoffs are off and running, and The Hockey Show is all over it!
We’re one week into the best postseason in all of professional sports and there has been no shortage of great storylines, exciting moments and controversial topics to discuss.
Joining hosts Roy Bellamy and David Dwork this week was friend of the show Adnan Virk from NHL on Prime.
Among the topics discussed with Adnan were the Los Angeles Kings possibly, finally getting out of the first round against the Edmonton Oilers, the New York Islanders parting ways with Lou Lamoriello, the surprising starts to the playoffs by the Minnesota Wild and Dallas Stars, and the disappointing start by the New Jersey Devils.
Adnan also stuck around for the weekly Florida Panthers segment, where they got into the Cats taking a surprising (to some) 2-0 series lead on the Tampa Bay Lightning after picking up a pair of victories on the road.
A big topic of discussion was the hit on Panthers Captain Sasha Barkov by Tampa’s Brandon Hagel, and the reaction by some in the media following the dangerous hit.
You can check out the full episode in the video below:
SAN FRANCISCO – The Giants still are seeking consistency in their offense. Justin Verlander still is seeking his first win as a member of the Orange and Black.
Both were key issues that arose from the smoke that represented San Francisco’s 2-0 loss to the Texas Rangers on Friday night at Oracle Park.
For the second consecutive start, Verlander pitched as well as he has all season but had nothing to show for it. The three-time Cy Young Award winner had five strikeouts and allowed two runs and five hits in six innings.
With very little offense to support him – the Giants had only four hits – Verlander remained winless with San Francisco.
The lack of offense is a little concerning, although Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi spun a gem. Eovaldi pitched six scoreless innings before giving way to the Texas bullpen, which tidily mopped up to finish the series opener at 3rd and King.
Here are the takeaways from Friday’s game that dropped the Giants to 17-10 this season:
Verlander still seeking first SF win
For the second consecutive start, Verlander had good enough stuff to win. For his sixth consecutive start with the Giants, it wasn’t enough to earn him a victory in a San Francisco uniform.
The three-time Cy Young winner and nine-time All-Star went six strong innings against the Rangers and allowed five runs on two hits. Verlander had five strikeouts and walked one. He has walked 12 in 30 2/3 innings this season.
The problem was that he got Cained, a reference to former Giants pitcher Matt Cain, who had a history of pitching well in games but not getting enough run support.
Bochy’s return
Legendary former Giants manager Bruce Bochy was back in town for the second time since joining the Rangers in 2023, and it’s clear that the feelings between him and Giants fans remain as strong as ever.
After holding a brief meeting with reporters in the Texas dugout before the game, Bochy made his way through a small crowd of fans standing near the batting cage, stopped to take a few pictures and signed some autographs before getting back to work.
The ongoing love affair is no surprise. Bochy’s 1,052 wins as the Giants manager are the second most in franchise history. He also guided the team to three World Series championships.
Don’t try me
Giants catcher Patrick Bailey has one of the top pop times in the major leagues and showed it off against the Rangers when he threw out Josh Jung attempting to steal second base.
Although Jung is not known for base-running prowess, he got a good jump and was initially ruled safe before the call was overturned by replay. It’s only the fourth caught-stealing by Bailey in 12 tries this season.
Pittsburgh's Tommy Pham's bat breaks as he singles during the ninth inning against the Angels at Angel Stadium on Wednesday. (Eric Thayer / Associated Press)
Tommy Pham was diagnosed with a progressive degenerative eye disease in 2008, six years before he made his major league debut. Keratoconus causes the cornea to thin and weaken, leading to vision distortion, not ideal for someone hitting baseballs for a living.
But the 37-year-old doesn't always see eye to eye with fans, at least not those who frequently heckle him, and Pham's reaction is too often rude, crude and lewd. The most recent incident happened Wednesday at Angel Stadium and it resulted in a one-game suspension and an undisclosed fine from Major League Baseball on Friday.
Pham is appealing the suspension and was in the lineup Friday as Pittsburgh opened a three-game series against the Dodgers.
During a game against the Angels, Pham fielded a double near the left-field wall and a fan in the first row wearing a glove reached over the wall and touched the Pirates left fielder on the back. Pham couldn't ignore the slight.
He turned and glared at the fan even before throwing the ball to a cutoff man and after resuming his position responded to heckling by turning toward the stands and making a crude hand-jerking gesture near his crotch. The television broadcaster was caught off-guard and responded in real time, "Well there, Tommy Pham says hello to the crowd."
Pham then motioned for the heckler to come onto the field, where presumably he would address the spat once and for all, man to man. Angels fans booed Pham the rest of the game, which Pittsburgh won 3-0.
The incident can be added to a list that would be shorter if not for Pham's questionable responses.
October 2020:Pham was stabbed in the back during an altercation outside a San Diego strip club when he told patrons engaged in an argument near his car to move along. He needed 200 stitches to close the gash.
“The cut’s deep. The doctor here basically told me if I wasn’t so muscular, I might be dead or paralyzed,” Pham told reporters a few months later at spring training. “I’m lucky to even be able to play.”
June 2021:Pham addressed the torrent of verbal abuse he experienced after getting off to a poor start with the San Diego Padres. “Fans have been very disrespectful this year,” Pham told Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. “I actually saw a fan who was talking [trash] to me. I saw him outside the stadium. I said, ‘What’s up? You still want to talk that [trash]?’ He went completely blank. That just shows you people feel entitled.”
April 2022: Playing for the Cincinnati Reds, Pham challenged Luke Voit to a fight after the Padres designated hitter collided with Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson on a play at the plate.
“The way his hands hit him in the face, it was dirty,” Pham told reporters. “If Luke wants to settle it, I get down really well. Anything. Muay Thai, whatever.”
May 2022: Pham was suspended for three games and fined for slapping San Francisco Giants outfielder Joc Pederson in the face during batting practice over a fantasy football league dispute. Pham said Pederson was "messing with my money" and objected to Pederson putting a player on injured reserve and adding a free agent to his roster, although Pederson said Pham had "literally done the same thing" with his fantasy team.
August 2023: Playing for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Pham got into a verbal confrontation with a fan while in the on-deck circle in San Diego, saying later that the fan referred to him with a profanity. Pham underachieved playing for the Padres in 2020 and '21, and some fans wouldn't let him forget it.
“He stepped out of line and said something that I don’t [take well]," Pham told reporters. "The fans here, I just don’t get it. Not even at the field. Even away from the field. Just completely disrespectful."
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo added that some verbal abuse aimed at Pham is racially charged.
"I hear some terrible things coming from the stands," Lovullo said at the time. "It’s not just the normal 'You’re a bum' stuff. It’s deeper. It’s ugly. ... I just didn’t like what was coming out of these fans’ mouth and it’s real. I’m not making that up. If you get near our dugout, you’d be amazed at what’s being said.”
Pham, who's on his 10th team, clearly is a complex player, the Pirates signing him to a one-year, $4-million deal a week before spring training began. His next hit will be No. 1,000, and he has earned $39.5 million in his career.
Another side of him was revealed during the 2023 World Series when he voluntarily gave an at-bat to Diamondbacks teammate and friend Jace Peterson, although Pham was four for four and could have become the first player to go five for five in a World Series game.
“This was to me a true team moment," Lovullo said. "Tommy Pham knew — I’m sure he knew, because he’s extremely smart and pays attention to some things that you wouldn’t expect a Major League Baseball player to pay attention to — I am guaranteeing you he was aware that he had a chance to get five hits."
Then there is Pham overcoming keratoconus, described to reporter Scott Miller by Dr. Brian Boxer Wachler this way: "Imagine your car windshield bulging out and getting all those distortions. Keratoconus can be like being in a fun house, but it's not a lot of fun."
In 2019, Pham spoke to about 200 ophthalmologists at a convention, detailing his journey, which while battling keratoconus included 2,338 minor league at-bats from 2008 to 2014 before he made his big league debut.
"Miracle, I think, is the best term to describe him," said Dr. Edward Bennett, professor of optometry at the University of Missouri-St. Louis and part of the team of eye specialists that worked on Pham. "I've never known anybody else who played Major League Baseball with keratoconus. I don't know how he sees the spin on the curveball, or fastballs."
Perhaps Pham makes up for it by hearing exceptionally well. He definitely hears hecklers, and sometimes his reaction results in a fine and suspension.
In a series where Ottawa Senators winger Ridly Greig and Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz have both been accused of trading some serious cheap shots, it was almost comical on Friday when the NHL stepped in with swift justice for some harmless warm-up antics.
The league has fined the Senators $25,000 and fined Nick Cousins $2,083, both for unsportsmanlike conduct just before Game 3 on Thursday. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman posted a grainy video of the “incident” on social media.
Here’s what NHL is looking at from last night. “Friend of Bieksa” Nick Cousins shoots puck at Stolarz. NHL not crazy about pre-game stuff…also clamped down on funny Scheifele/Hofer standoff in Blues/Jets series pic.twitter.com/ZF08AZwdO4
The clip shows Cousins either passing the puck toward Stolarz or, at worst, taking the lightest of shots toward him. Cousins and Stolarz, it’s worth noting, won a Stanley Cup together with the Florida Panthers last season.
When head coach Travis Green was asked on Friday by TSN's Mark Masters about the so-called incident, he leaned into the nonsense with a deadpan response that got a big laugh from the media room.
"Well Mark, it's an active investigation," Green said. "I don't know if I should be commenting."
Green gave the “story” the exact amount of seriousness it deserved, sarcastically treating it like a major crime.
"I'm kidding. Yeah, I saw the video. Cousins and Stolarz have played together. I don't know, yeah, he's probably trying to either laugh at him or make a joke or get him off his game, and it is what it is."
After back-to-back overtime losses, Green’s levity struck just the right tone on Friday, a nice respite before the Senators try to climb out of a deep hole in this series.
