The night couldn’t have begun any better for Aaron Nola.
Then the second inning happened.
And the Phillies were on their way to another loss, this one by the score of 5-1 to the Chicago Cubs on Monday night at chilly Wrigley Field.
That’s six losses in a row, 10 in the last 12 games, if you’re keeping score at home. The Phillies, with their high expectations and $300 million-plus payroll, are 8-14 for the first time since the 99-loss season of 2015.
Prior to his team’s latest loss, manager Rob Thomson mentioned the need for his pitchers to start having some quick innings.
As if on cue, Nola responded in the first inning. He struck out Nico Hoerner on three pitches, retired Michael Busch on two and Alex Bregman on one.
That was the highlight of the night for Nola.
He labored through a 27-pitch second inning and allowed three hits and two walks as the Cubs put four runs on the board, three coming on a 424-foot, three-run homer to center by Dansby Swanson.
Nola allowed two more hits, a walk and a sacrifice fly in the third as the Cubs went up, 5-0.
That was plenty for Cubs’ right-hander Colin Rea, who pitched 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball to beat the Phillies for the second time in a week. Rea kept the Phillies’ hitters off balance with a seven-pitch mix, led by a fastball that averaged 93.8 mph and a splitter that he threw 17 percent of the time.
The Phils are 1-4 Nola’s five starts, 0-3 in his last three. He has an ERA of 5.06. He allowed 10 base runners on six hits and four walks in 4 1/3 innings Monday night. A two-out walk to Pete Crow-Armstrong kept the second inning alive for Swanson. With a 3-1 count, Nola threw a 91.5 mph sinker right down the middle and Swanson crushed it to center.
It was another slow night for the Phillies’ offense, which has scored just 10 runs in this six-game losing streak.
The Phils had a chance to bruise Rea in the second inning but left the bases loaded when Rafael Marchan struck out.
Finally, the Phillies put a run on the board in the fourth when rookie Justin Crawford doubled to left-center.
Alec Bohm continued to struggle for the Phillies. He went hitless in three at-bats to slip to .133 before walking in the eighth. That walk put two men on base with two outs for Bryson Stott. He popped to third base to end the threat. For the night, the Phillies went 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position and left 10 men on base.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 18: Evan Mobley #4 of the Cleveland Cavaliers defends Scottie Barnes #4 of the Toronto Raptors during the second quarter of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena on April 18, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Here is a list of today’s NBA playoff games (April 20, 2026) and where to watch:
Toronto Raptors @ Cleveland Cavaliers, 7 p.m. ET — Peacock
Apr 8, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Michael McGreevy (36) throws a pitch against the Washington Nationals during the second inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images | Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images
The St. Louis Cardinals road trip continues as they do battle with the Miami Marlins Monday night at LoanDepot Park. Michael McGreevy (1-1 with a 2.49 ERA) will start for the Cardinals while Max Meyer (1-0 with a 4.12 ERA) will be on the mound for the Marlins. First pitch scheduled for 5:40pm central time.
PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 18: Cedric Mullins #31 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates with teammates after hitting a two-run home run in the thirteenth inning during a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on April 18, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Apr 4, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) blocks the shot of Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) in the second quarter at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
In his third year in the NBA, Victor Wembanyama is finally reaching many milestones we all knew were coming when he entered the league. While he made his first All-Star appearance last season, it was ultimately cut short due to deep vein thrombosis, and he missed out on award and All-NBA eligibility due to only playing in 46 games. (Although he still received the blocks leader award thanks to an exception in which his total blocks divided 58 — the number of games required for stat leaders — still beat the next leader’s total blocks/58 games.)
This year, Wemby is eligible for awards — albeit just barely — after appearing in 65 regular season games, which included the NBA Cup Final (which you won’t see on official stat sheets because that game otherwise counts for nothing, but it does in this regard). The first of what should be several more recognitions has dropped, with Wemby winning his first of what should be many Defensive Player of the Year awards. He beat out fellow finalists Chet Holmgren and Ausar Thompson for the award and is the first unanimous winner in NBA history. He’s also the youngest to ever win it. He joins Alvin Robertson, David Robinson and Kawhi Leonard as the fourth Spur to ever win the award. (Somehow, Tim Duncan never did.)
Wemby led the NBA in blocks with 197 (just over three per game) while totaling 66 steals, and he finished second in the league in defensive rating (110.4) and defensive rebounds (9.5). He also became the unofficial inventor of the “nope”, i.e. when a player drives but decides to turnaround or not even attempt a shot that many would consider open or close to it due to his presence.
Wemby is also a finalist for Most Valuable Player, along with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic, which will be announced in mid-May on an unspecified date. At this point, SGA seems like the odds-on favorite, and it wouldn’t at all surprise me if due to the relatively low number of minutes played this season and lack of playoff appearances when the votes were tallied, the voters just aren’t ready to give that award to Wemby. That being said, if he does win MVP this season or another time in which he also wins DPOY, he will join elite company with only Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon and Giannis Antetokounmpo achieving the feat.
Other Spurs up for rewards that have scheduled announcement dates include Keldon Johnson for Sixth Man of the Year (announced on Wednesday on ESPN at 5:00 CT) and Harrison Barnes for the Sportsmanship award (announced on Thursday via the NBA). Also, Mitch Johnson is a finalist for Coach of the Year and De’Aaron Fox for Teammate of the Year, which like the MVP, has yet to be assigned announcement dates.
The Spurs will play Game 2 against the Trail Blazers tomorrow at 7:00 PM CT on NBC and Peacock.
ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 15: Bryce Elder #55 of the Atlanta Braves delivers a pitch on the day that all players and coaches were wearing #42 as MLB was honoring Jackie Robinson Day during the MLB game between the Miami Marlins and the Atlanta Braves on April 15, 2026 at TRUIST Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Atlanta Braves are looking for their sixth straight win as the face off against the third best offense in MLB tonight. The Nationals are currently tied for second place in the NL East with the Marlins. Most people would have probably laughed at someone predicting the top three teams in the NL East being the Braves, Nats, and Marlins this far in to the season, but here we are.
Bryce Elder looks like a new pitcher this season, both with his on the field results and his underlying metrics. He may be the key to the success of this game because the Nats are scoring runs like crazy, but are also giving up runs like crazy with the second worst ERA in MLB. This game could come down to the pitching as this could be a shootout just looking at the teams on paper.
Follow along in the comments. First pitch is at 6:45 EDT.
Wembanyama, who turned 22 on Jan. 4, 2026, also became the first winner under 23 years old to win the award. The previous youngest winner of DPOY was Dwight Howard, who was 23 years, 128 days when he won the award for the 2008-09 season as a member of the Orlando Magic.
Now, the San Antonio Spurs star finally adds one of the biggest NBA awards to his trophy case.
That might sound a little impatient, given that 2025-26 was only his third year in the league. But Wemby's had a legitimate argument as one of, if not the best defender in the NBA ever since his rookie season when he averaged an unreal 3.6 blocks per game and finished second in voting behind his fellow countryman Rudy Gobert. He probably would've had a shot at the award in 2024-25 too, if it wasn't for blood clots that cut his season short after just 46 games.
Third time was indeed the charm for Wembanyama, who was announced as this year's DPOY after averaging a league-leading 3.1 blocks (he's led the NBA in blocks in all three of his NBA seasons) and 11.5 rebounds per game. While Wemby's 103.6 defensive rating is fourth-best in the NBA, his net defensive rating (17.0) led the league.
Wembanyama beat out finalists Chet Holmgren of the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Detroit Pistons' Ausar Thompson for the award; he is also a finalist for NBA Most Valuable Player. He'll have to outdo Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic in the polls but if he does, Wembanyama would be just the fourth player in NBA history to win both MVP and DPOY in the same year – a feat only Michael Jordan (1987-88), Hakeem Olajuwon (1993-94) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (2019-20) have accomplished.
Award winners will be announced as the week goes on, with Clutch Player of the Year scheduled for Tuesday, April 21, Sixth Man of the Year on Wednesday, April 22, the Sportsmanship Award on Thursday, April 23 and Most Improved Player on Friday, April 24.
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 31: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers and James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers talk before the game on March 31, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
CLEVELAND — Telling someone back in 2015 that a Cleveland Cavaliers head coach would compare his point guard, James Harden, to Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James would probably break their brain. We live in a weird world.
The Cavs have been rolling offensively since adding Harden in February. The speed at which he processes the game, combined with his skill, has done that. This is most seen with his passing, which is on a level that Atkinson could only compare to one other superstar in the league.
“There might be another player like him, but him and LeBron are the only guys that I’ve seen in that category where the accuracy and the speed of the pass is just a whole other level,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said before Game 2 against the Toronto Raptors. “I think that speaks to their skill level, IQ, but also the strength part. You got to be really strong to throw some of the passes they throw through traffic.”
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Harden displayed this during their Game 1 win on Saturday. He racked up 10 assists, with two of those leading to Max Strus triples. Both were delivered on time and on target.
“It obviously makes a difference,” Strus said when asked about how a good pass helps the ensuing shot. “He’s been doing this for a very long time. He knows how to help guys be great, and I’ve experienced it. He’s a phenomenal basketball player, one of the best players in the world ever, for a reason. And we’re lucky to have him. He just makes the game easier for everyone else.”
There’s more to just passing than accuracy and velocity of passes. Harden is good at both of those things, but his ability to read the defense, manipulate where he wants the defenders to go, and then deliver the pass is what separates excellent passers from some of the greatest all-time.
“He’s just got a great, great feel,” Atkinson said. “Like I’ve said all year, since we’ve gotten him, he’s just a way better passer than I thought he was.”
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 19: Joey Wiemer #21 of the Washington Nationals slides in to second base against the San Francisco Giants at Nationals Park on April 19, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a couple of lackluster years by their standards, it sure seems like the big bad Braves are back. They are 15-7 and have a 5 game lead in the division already. The Nats will have to battle with this team for four games. It will be a tough test for the exciting but flawed Nats.
With a righty on the mound, there will be a couple changes in the lineup. Daylen Lile will be back in there in left field. The red hot Jose Tena will be back in the DH spot, while Luis Garcia Jr. goes to first base. Drew Millas will be behind the plate. Jake Irvin has had success against the Braves over the years, but this lineup has been firing on all cylinders so far.
Six of the Braves nine starters have an OPS of at least .799 and two of the players below that are Ronald Acuna Jr. and Austin Riley, who is heating up after a slow start. Old friend Dominic Smith has been a revelation for the Braves, hitting over .350 with a number of big moments. Drake Baldwin and Matt Olson are red hot, while Michael Harris and Ozzie Albies look re-energized. This lineup is looking scary. Bryce Elder has also gotten off to an insane start and will be on the mound tonight.
While it was nice to avoid the sweep, dropping that second game of the Giants series still looms large. The Nats could have been entering this series at .500. Facing the red hot Braves for four games is an uphill battle, but hopefully the Nats can come away with a split like they did against the Pirates. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
May 12, 2024; Chicago, IL, USA; Duke University’s Kyle Filipowski at the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery at McCormick Place West. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images
The Utah Jazz rejoice as a coin flip for the 4th-best lottery odds fell in their favor, securing the first-round pick away from Oklahoma City’s greedy clutches. At the fifth odds, there was a chance of slipping to the ninth pick and falling out of the top-8 protection bubble. At four, those odds are erased — the Jazz won’t slip below 8 on lottery night.
Have you ever felt so much dread over a 50/50 chance?
I’ve never been so confident that a coin flip was going to turn out one way. If the NBA truly were unfair, corrupt, or manipulated, it would be on full display with the tiebreaker between the Utah Jazz and the Sacramento Kings for the 4th and 5th positions in the lottery standings.
Win the 50/50 split, and Utah retains its first-round pick no matter what. Lose, however, and the chances of the pick dropping to 9th were almost zero. But almost zero and actually zero are fundamentally different, and Murphy’s Law can get off its couch and wrangle control if Utah’s .6% chance
I could envision the glint on NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s glasses. The snyde smirk flashing across the left side of his face as a quarter rolls over his knuckles. Winding up and tossing the coin into the sky, we watch as the odds flip Jazz, Kings, Jazz, Kings, Jazz, Kings over and over and over as the decider of fate falls to the earth.
The Utah Jazz have been Adam Silver’s scapegoat all season long. They are the flagbearers of the tanking movement. The most heinous and blatant example of basketball’s great shame. The league has fined Utah half a million dollars for their perceived crime — a number unmatched to any degree by any of basketball’s other 10 or so active tankers. It seemed inevitable; if Utah could be forced to part with their first-round pick, Utah would be stripped of their drafting rights. Murphy’s Law in motion, with a little help from the decision-makers atop the National Basketball Association.
Maybe I’m just cynical. Maybe I’m jaded. Maybe I believe that the Utah Jazz just aren’t afforded the same joys as other, more notable organizations in the NBA. I sincerely believed the basketball governing powers intended to make an example of the lowly Jazz — one final kick before the team is ready to compete for the playoffs next season.
The chances of Utah losing the coin flip andthen slipping all the way to ninth were infinitesimal — I know that —but the relief of that number turning to zero is cause for celebration.
With the lottery order officially set, here’s how Utah’s odds stand.
*Players are listed as they appear on our Big Board, for reference.
Utah breathes a sigh of relief. Though Sacramento (the coin flip’s loser) may well jump Utah in the order on lottery night, the Jazz had one goal. That was to keep their pick out of OKC’s hands. Mission accomplished.
Calvin Barrett is a writer, editor, and prolific Mario Kart racer located in Tokyo, Japan. He has covered the NBA and College Sports since 2024.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - APRIL 08: Aaron Nola #27 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches in the fourth inning against the San Francisco Giants on April 8, 2026 at Oracle Park in San Francisco, CA. (Photo by Matthew Huang/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Game one of a new series on deck. Here are the lineups, let’s discuss.
CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 19: Brayan Rocchio #4 of the Cleveland Guardians talks to the media after the Guardians defeated the Baltimore Orioles at Progressive Field on Sunday, April 19, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Grace Hoppel/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 12: Yoshinobu Yamamoto #18 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on September 12, 2025 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s a three-city week for the Dodgers, who finish up their four-game series against the Colorado Rockies on Monday in Denver, then head to San Francisco to take on the Giants at Oracle Park for a three-game series beginning Tuesday night.
The Dodgers have their best three starting pitchers going in their first salvo against their longtime division rivals, beginning with Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Tuesday night. Yamamoto is coming off 7 2/3 innings against the Mets, and will be on six days rest in the series opener in San Francisco. He has a 2.10 ERA with 21 strikeouts and three walks in 25 2/3 innings in his four starts this season.
Right-hander Landen Roupp, 24 days younger than Yamamoto, starts the opener for the Giants. The right-hander has yet to allow a home run this season, posting a 2.38 ERA in four starts with 24 strikeouts and seven walks in 22 2/3 innings.
PITTSBURGH — Rick Tocchet talked about the importance of the Flyers not feeling too comfortable with a series lead.
The head coach had liked his team’s businesslike approach after its Game 1 win. That sure seemed to pay off Monday night.
The Flyers blanked the Penguins, 3-0, at PPG Paints Arena to take a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven first-round matchup. Tocchet’s club stunned a lot of people by winning the first two games on the road.
“Coming in here, in a building like this and taking the first two games, it’s huge,” Owen Tippett said. “We’re really excited to get home, but we’re staying even-keeled.”
Dan Vladar was terrific again, providing his first shutout with the Flyers.
Porter Martone delivered another goal, giving him two in two career playoff games. He’s just 19 years old and not even a month out of college.
“It’s pretty impressive,” Travis Konecny said. “There are not a lot of guys that can come in and make the impact that he has. Especially in the games leading up to making the playoffs, how important those were, and for him to be able to jump in, I think it just speaks to not his hockey ability, but how he wants to learn.”
After Martone handed the Flyers a 1-0 lead in the second period, Garnet Hathaway struck a little over four minutes later at shorthanded. Tippett made a determined and skillful play to find Hathaway for the 2-0 lead.
The Flyers fended off Pittsburgh in the third period. Luke Glendening’s empty-net goal sent fans to the exits.
Tocchet’s club now comes home to what should be a raucous Xfinity Mobile Arena.
The Flyers won the opening two games of a playoff series for the first time since 2012. Ironically, they did it against the Penguins then, too. The Flyers won that first-round series in six games.
Going back to Feb. 26 of the regular season and including the start to these playoffs, the Flyers have won 20 of their last 27 games. In that span, they’ve allowed just 2.26 goals per game.
“It’s a series and it’s a war,” Noah Cates said before the game. “A little crack can go a long way, whether you see it on a team or kind of your body language and stuff like that. So you’ve just got to be strong mentally and physically, do all the right things and do it over and over to break them down little by little.”
The 28-year-old really closed the door in the third period when Pittsburgh made a concerted push. Vladar had a message for his team during a break in the period.
“They were coming in waves at us and he said, ‘We’re OK, guys don’t worry about it, relax,'” Tocchet said. “He says that, he’s the goalie, he’s getting peppered a little bit, it means a lot.”
With under seven and a half minutes to go, Vladar stopped a redirection by Evgeni Malkin when the Flyers lost the winger backdoor.
He had a massive save on Samuel Girard early in the third period.
“He has been like that all year for us,” Tocchet said. “Guys enjoy playing for him. He comes by the bench, he’s talking to the players. A lot of guys aren’t used to goalies talking that much, but that’s the way Vladdy is; I love his personality. He’s a fun guy to coach, I’ll tell you that.”
The Flyers played with fire a bit in the first period when they put the Penguins on the power play three times. They weren’t hurt, though, keeping the game scoreless going into intermission.
Travis Sanheim did a nice job to negate one of the power plays when he put pressure on Pittsburgh up ice and drew a tripping penalty on Erik Karlsson.
The Flyers’ penalty kill went a perfect 5 for 5.
“It was a goofy game for us, there were a lot of penalties, they had three or four power plays early, guys get out of the game,” Tocchet said. “Sometimes in the playoffs, you’ve got to win those ugly games. It was an ugly game for us.”
Penguins netminder Stuart Skinner stopped 20 of 22 shots.
He denied Tippett on a penalty shot in the third period, but the Flyers got their insurance with Glendening’s empty-netter.
“He fit in right away, he’s a confident kid,” Christian Dvorak said. “He has been huge for us. To show that confidence straight from college is very impressive.”
For Martone to be making this much of an impact already is super promising for the Flyers. Konecny and Dvorak made strong plays to assist his game-opening goal.
Tippett and Hathaway then took the air totally out of the building when they connected.
Hathaway’s style of play is built for the playoffs. The veteran winger finished with two points.
“We talk about it a lot as a group — how can you bring it each shift to help this team,” Hathaway said. “I love it. If you’re not jacked up out there, you’ve got to check your pulse or something.”
• After holding Sidney Crosby scoreless in Game 1, the Flyers pulled it off again.
They’ve quieted No. 87 so far.
Crosby, of course, has been the ultimate Flyers killer. He owns 139 points (60 goals, 79 assists) in 93 career regular-season games against the Flyers. In the playoffs, he has put up 36 points (15 goals, 21 assists) in 25 career meetings with the Flyers.
• Noah Juulsen entered the lineup for Emil Andrae, who missed the game because of an upper-body.
Andrae didn’t practice Sunday. He has been considered day to day.
• The series shifts to Philadelphia for Game 3 on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).
It’ll mark the Flyers’ first playoff action on home ice since 2018; the 2020 postseason was forced into the bubble because of the coronavirus pandemic.
