Philadelphia 76ers (43-36, seventh in the Eastern Conference) vs. Houston Rockets (50-29, fifth in the Western Conference)
Houston; Thursday, 8 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: Houston hosts Philadelphia looking to prolong its five-game home winning streak.
The Rockets have gone 28-10 in home games. Houston is 22-16 against opponents with a winning record.
The 76ers have gone 21-18 away from home. Philadelphia has a 6-8 record in games decided by 3 points or fewer.
The Rockets score 114.8 points per game, 1.7 fewer points than the 116.5 the 76ers give up. The 76ers average 12.4 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.1 more makes per game than the Rockets allow.
The teams meet for the second time this season. The 76ers won 128-122 in overtime in the last matchup on Jan. 23.
TOP PERFORMERS: Kevin Durant is averaging 25.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists for the Rockets. Alperen Sengun is averaging 21.3 points over the last 10 games.
Tyrese Maxey is scoring 28.4 points per game with 4.1 rebounds and 6.7 assists for the 76ers. VJ Edgecombe is averaging 20.7 points and 5.7 rebounds while shooting 51.9% over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Rockets: 8-2, averaging 121.4 points, 47.4 rebounds, 30.0 assists, 7.0 steals and 6.0 blocks per game while shooting 49.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 110.9 points per game.
76ers: 6-4, averaging 121.5 points, 45.2 rebounds, 26.5 assists, 7.2 steals and 5.9 blocks per game while shooting 48.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 119.2 points.
INJURIES: Rockets: Fred VanVleet: out for season (acl), Steven Adams: out for season (ankle).
76ers: Johni Broome: out (knee), Cameron Payne: out (hamstring).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Lakers coach JJ Redick said the verbal exchange with reserve forward Jarred Vanderbilt during the second quarter of Tuesday’s 123-87 blowout loss to the Thunder was “nothing personal” and a “normal interaction” for Redick.
Redick called timeout following the Lakers’ first possession of the second 16 seconds into the quarter after a Kobe Bufkin missed floater that last touched Alex Caruso and flew out of bounds.
As the Lakers were going back to the bench, Vanderbilt walked into the coaches’ huddle and animatedly appeared to try to talk to Redick, who was using the white board with assistant coach Greg St. Jean.
Star guard Austin Reaves, who is sidelined with an oblique injury, stepped between Vanderbilt and Redick and assistant coach Nate McMillan held Vanderbilt’s back before Redick walked to the team’s bench, with McMillan and Reaves staying back with Vanderbilt.
Once back near the bench, Vanderbilt continued talking to Redick, who at one point during the exchange shrugged and waved Vanderbilt off.
McMillan gestured to Vanderbilt to stay back before stepping between Redick and Vanderbilt as Redick talked to Vanderbilt as he was getting up from the bench.
“A confluence of things,” Redick responded when asked what led to the exchange with Vanderbilt. “Again, it’s nothing personal with him. Normal stuff from my end. I think for all of us, being undermanned, we’ve got to scrap and claw, we’ve got to all be on the same page, We got to be great teammates, we got to all play hard. Called a timeout to get him out of the game. And he reacted, but again, normal interaction for me.”
Vanderbilt didn’t play again after being subbed out.
Lakers’ Jarred Vanderbilt walked into the coaches’ huddle and animatedly appeared to try to talk to JJ Redick, who was using the white board with assistant coach Greg St. Jean. @khobi_price / X
The exchange with Vanderbilt was the second time Redick quickly called a timeout early in the quarter to pull a veteran player.
Redick called timeout 2 ½ minutes into the game before taking out Rui Hachimura, who later returned and ended up finishing with a team-high 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting to go with five assists in 26 minutes.
“I called the early timeout because Rui didn’t do his job, so took him out of the game,” Redick explained. “We’ve got to find nine guys that are all in on us fighting and willing to go out on whatever metaphor you want to use — I don’t want to use a war metaphor in this time — but whatever you got to do to go out and fight and be all in on the team, we’ll find the nine guys. It’s a great opportunity for us, over the next three games to find those guys.”
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 10: Dillon Brooks #3 of the Phoenix Suns attempts to steal the ball from Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks at Mortgage Matchup Center on February 10, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We’re so close to the end of a dreadful 2025-26 season of Dallas Mavericks basketball that we can taste it.
Wednesday’s game between the Mavericks (25-54) and the Phoenix Suns (43-35) at Mortgage Matchup Center wraps up the final back-to-back set for Dallas with three games remaining on the schedule. The Mavs are coming into the game on the heels of Tuesday’s 116-103 loss at the Los Angeles Clippers, while the Suns come in on one night’s rest after dropping a game to the Houston Rockets, 119-105.
Star-spangled Cooper
Cooper Flagg’s brilliance in the two games before Tuesday’s loss has kept the flailing Mavericks in the wider NBA conversation, as opinions fly in every direction concerning the NBA Rookie of the Year race. His 25 points on 9-of-25 shooting against the Clippers isn’t quite as strong an argument for his candidacy, but he’s still filling up the stat sheet on a nightly basis as the season winds down.
The implications
The Suns will be motivated to win Wednesday’s game, as the Clippers sit just two games back of Phoenix for the seventh seed in the Western Conference, with the playoff picture coming into focus. The Mavericks’ motivation, as is well documented, is only for better draft lottery odds at this point.
This should be a fairly straightforward handshake deal between two erstwhile rivals.
Can-do attitude
The Mavericks’ try-hard tendency is admirable. The guys on the court are competitors, and it’s resulted in a 16-27 record in clutch games this season.
But the unspoken objective is clear: obtain the best odds to get as high a pick as possible in the upcoming NBA Draft. Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd needs to examine the end of the roster as closely as possible in the last three games of the season in order to give this team its best chance to find some upward trajectory next season.
How to watch
The Mavericks and the Suns tip off from Mortgage Matchup Center at 9 p.m. CDT. The game will be televised locally on KFAA Channel 29 and on sister stations throughout the Mavericks’ regional viewership area. You can catch the stream on MavsTV and on NBA League Pass where available.
“What’s the furthest a team has gone in Europe while being relegated in the same season?” wonders Matt Reilly.
This question was probably asked in reference to Tottenham, who were still in the Champions League at the time, but it’s still relevant to some of this year’s quarter-finalists. Nottingham Forest are three points above the relegation places in the Premier League; Fiorentina only have a five-point cushion in Serie A.
Real Zaragoza 2001-02, first round; 2007-08, first round
Alaves 2002-03, second round
Celta Vigo 2006-07, last 16
Real Zaragoza 2007-08, first round
Real Betis 2013-14, last 16
Espanyol 2019-20, last 32
Blackburn Rovers 1998-99, Uefa Cup first round
Bradford City 2000-01, Intertoto semi-final
Ipswich Town 2001-02, Uefa Cup third round
Ruda HvezdaBrno 1960-61, Cup Winners’ Cup
Dynamo Zilina 1961-62, Cup Winners’ Cup
Espanyol 1961-62. Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
Napoli 1962-63, Cup Winners’ Cup
Bayern Munich 1962-63, Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
1. FC Magdeburg 1965-66, Cup Winners’ Cup
Lyn 1968-69, Cup Winners’ Cup
Beroe Stara Zagora 1973-74, Cup Winners’ Cup
Real Betis 1977-78, Cup Winners’ Cup
Bologna 1990-91, Uefa Cup
First round Artmedia Bratislavia (2-2 away, 3-1 home)
Group stage Sparta Prague (2-0 away), Zulte Waregem (6-2 home), Ajax (2-0 away), Austria Wien (1-0 home)
SAN ANTONIO, TX - JANUARY 03: Deni Avdija #8 of the Portland Trailblazers drives over Luke Kornet #7 of the San Antonio Spurs in the second half at Frost Bank Center on January 3, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Victor Wembanyama may miss some time after a rib injury scare in the San Antonio Spurs 115-102 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Reports indicate Wembanyama’s injury isn’t serious, and he will likely suit up for the one required game he has to play to qualify for end-of-season awards. However, he will likely miss the Spurs’ final matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers this season, as he is listed as doubtful. Stephon Castle joins him on the injury report with the same designation.
This will be the rubber match between Portland and San Antonio, as the series is tied 1-1. The Blazers defeated the Spurs in their last matchup, 115-110, a game in which Wembanyama also sat out, and Luke Kornet led the team with 23 points. Portland is fighting hard for its playoff positioning, as they sit just a half-game back of the Los Angeles Clippers for 8th in the Western Conference. This game could impact who the Spurs play in the first round and could be a preview of a potential playoff series.
Spurs Injuries: Stephon Castle – Doubtful (knee), Victor Wembanyama – Doubtful (rib), Harrison Ingram – Questionable (G League), David Jones-Garcia – Out (ankle), Emanuel Miller – Questionable (G League)
Trail Blazers Injuries: Jerami Grant – Out (calf), Vit Krejci – Doubtful (calf), Damian Lillard – Out (achilles), Shaedon Sharpe – Doubtful (fibula)
What to watch for:
Grabbing defensive rebounds
The Blazers are awesome offensive rebounders. If Wembanyama is a Godzilla-type figure, then Donovan Clingan is his King Kong (or Cling Kong) counterpart. The Portland big man leads the league in offensive rebounds with 4.5 a game. Without Wembanyama, Kornet will be counted on to keep Clingan off the glass. It’ll have to be a team effort on the boards, though. The Blazers are 2nd in the NBA with 14.1 offensive rebounds per game. Allowing second-chance points will crush the Spurs’ chances of winning.
Small ball advantage?
The Spurs often go to a small-ball second unit when Wembanyama sits. Carter Bryant has surprisingly been the team’s best third center on the roster this year. Against bigger teams, that lack of size can sometimes come back to bite San Antonio. Against Portland, however, it could work to their advantage. Robert Williams III is a stout, athletic defender, but not much of an offensive threat. Bryant should be able to handle him on the defensive end. On offense, the Spurs will have more ball-handlers and floor spacers to take advantage of a Portland defense that already allows 116.1 points per game. This may be the one game the Spurs’ small-ball lineup could end up a net-positive.
Dylan Harper starting
With Castle potentially resting this game, Harper should get a shot in the starting unit. In his two games as a starter, Harper averaged 17 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists. He’s been playing some excellent basketball lately, shooting the ball effectively, scoring around the rim, and playing tough defense on the perimeter. He’ll have his work cut out for him against tough perimeter defenders like Toumani Camara and Jrue Holiday, but a big game in the starting five could be exactly what Harper needs to hit the ground running into the playoffs.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander top-scored for the Thunder against the Lakers [Getty Images]
The Oklahoma City Thunder are within reach of clinching the NBA's Western Conference top spot for the third season running after thrashing the Los Angeles Lakers for the second time in six days.
A 123-87 victory on Tuesday means the Thunder are one win - or one San Antonio Spurs loss - from ensuring they finish top.
The Lakers had lost 139-96 to the defending NBA champions on Thursday - one of their heaviest defeats in their history.
This time, despite being without Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and LeBron James, they stayed with the Thunder into the second quarter before their opponents scored 23 points - conceding just five - in the final seven minutes and 16 seconds of the half to take control.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 25 points in 28 minutes - extending to 139 his record for most consecutive games with 20 or more points - as his side secured their sixth consecutive win and their 18th in 19 games.
The defeat for the Lakers was their third in a row - they fall behind the Denver Nuggets in the chase for third spot in the Conference.
Rui Hachimura led the home side with 15 points with no other Lakers player scoring more than 11.
Elsewhere, the Phoenix Suns missed out on an automatic play-off spot after losing 119-105 to the Houston Rockets.
Kevin Durant who was traded from Phoenix to Houston last year, scored 24 points against his former team with sections of the Suns home crowd subjecting him to boos throughout the game.
The defeat for the Suns means the Minnesota Timberwolves have secured the final play-off spot in the Conference after their comprehensive 124-104 success over the struggling Indiana Pacers.
The Boston Celtics closed in on securing second seed in the Eastern Conference after holding off the in-form Charlotte Hornets 113-102 while the Toronto Raptors kept their automatic play-off hopes on track with a 121-95 win over the Miami Heat, who will now be involved in next week's play-in tournament, along with the Suns.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - APRIL 07: Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns handles the ball against Aaron Holiday #0 of the Houston Rockets during the second half of the NBA game at Mortgage Matchup Center on April 07, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
What is with the Suns dominating the first quarter and then struggling throughout? I could have sworn that in the last game I covered against the Charlotte Hornets, the Suns did the same thing they did tonight. This time, though, it definitely stung more for multiple reasons. One was that the Suns had a 24-0 run in the first quarter, giving them 37 first-quarter points. This would set the stage for an explosive game throughout, but sadly, it missed the mark.
This was also a big one for both teams, with Kevin Durant’s return to the Valley after he missed their first meeting due to injury. For the Suns, they also had Jalen Green, who missed their first matchup, and was looking to provide a showcase as well. Sadly for the Suns, Durant won that battle, even if he had a rough start, finishing with 24 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists.
For the Suns, Booker got off to a hot start and found himself at the line 16 times, which was incredible to see. He finished with 31 points, 4 rebounds, and 8 assists, but it was just not enough for Phoenix. The Rockets continued to attack the glass, outrebounding the Suns 55-34 (24-10 on the offensive glass). This was a big reason for the Rockets’ ability to generate second-chance points and keep them in a fighting chance throughout. Eventually, it just pushed over the limit because of Phoenix’s shooting struggles. A 7-of-31 shooting night from three is not going to cut it, and Phoenix looks clear it’s in for a tough couple of weeks ahead.
Game Flow
First Half
In a game, the Suns wanted to come out of the gates swinging; they did, and man, was it a beauty to witness. Right from the jump, Devin Booker started heating up, making his first three shots and getting a quick eight points. Some great hustle and three-pointers accompanied this, from Jordan Goodwin, sparking a huge run for the Suns. One that continued and snowballed into a 24-0 run here in the first quarter, with Mark Williams at the forefront.
His dominance on the glass made Alpren Sengun struggle to get any rebounds, and his ability to score on the other end gave the crowd the excitement they craved. Phoenix was locked in, as they needed to be, for the postseason, and it could not have come at a better time.
Williams impacting both ends early. Active hands disrupting, creating second chances, and holding Sengun in check defensively
That being said, Houston did stop the run with a Kevin Durant mid-range and did start to climb back into this one. They started to find their groove with Reed Shepperd and Amen Thompson finding some offensive flow. At the end of one, Phoenix was in the lead 37-21 and looked to be in control of this one if they kept the momentum up.
The second quarter was not much of an offensive explosion to start, but it still had its moments. The Suns continued to see that value from Goodwin come to play, as he was once again active on both ends and made a nice three. The Suns have also done a great job of limiting their front court from doing anything, while their bigs have 16 points combined.
Then the quarter started to get interesting, after Brooks and Durant were arguing with each other. Durant started to feel his rhythm and made Brooks fall with a nice crossover move. The refs also started to get involved, handing out a tech to each team in just 90 seconds. First was given to Booker after complaining about a foul he deserved; the other was given to Jae’Sean Tate, who stepped on Dillon Brooks.
The Suns, who were now struggling behind the arc, changed their game plan. They began attacking the basket and scoring on the Suns’ bigs, forcing multiple trips to the line. Booker led this charge and did it with no fear to keep the Suns in the lead. Booker leads the team with 21 points and a fantastic first half as the Suns are up 57-54. A very physical match is set up for a be wild finish here.
Devin Booker in the first half:
21 points 4 assists 3/4 on 2's 2/5 on 3's 9/10 at the line
The third was a rough start for Phoenix as they could not find a basket outside the free throw line. Their first six points came at eight shots at the charity stripe, until Brooks found some heat. He made back-to-back shots, including a nice three to help him after a tough shooting night. Green also had this acrobatic finish doing a 360 spin move for the layup. This spark from the two seeking revenge against the Rockets kept the Suns in the lead.
Yet the Rockets did take some control back in this one as they had Josh Okogie replace Reed Shepperd in the starting lineup. This move allowed them to be more physical and create some mismatches on the defensive end. His impact alongside Durant, making winning plays, allowed the Rockets to shrink the lead and keep it within arm’s reach.
The Suns cannot catch a break on the offensive glass as Houston just grabs every rebound and turns it into second-chance points. With their shooting struggles as well, the one thing keeping them in this game is their ability to get to the free-throw line. At the end of the third, the Suns were blessed to see a Royce O’Neale three-pointer finally fall and to have a three-point lead, 84-81.
Unfortunately for Phoenix, this was their worst start to a quarter, and it came at a terrible time. With Durant on the bench, the Rockets went on an 8-0 run and took the lead right form undenrath Phoenix’s grasp. They also continued to dominate the glass with Sengun now finding his shots at the rim. The Suns just do not have the size to match and need to see a change, implementing a wing like Ryan Dunn or Rasheer Fleming to match Houston.
The onslaught continued from the Rockets as their runs seemed to multiply in the fourth. Jabari Smith Jr. hit some big-time threes, and Amen Thompson had some crazy finishes late to make you realize how lethal Houston is. Even with the 24-0 run, this Houston team can bounce back, yet the Suns found no answer offensively after the first.
Sadly for Phoenix, it was just not enough, even with the hot start. They fell ot the Rockets in a heartbreaking collapse after such a great start. This loss will sting the Suns, as they are still in seventh in the West but have now fallen a game behind the Clippers, who beat the Mavericks tonight.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 7: Robbie Ray #38 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Philadelphia Phillies in the first inning at Oracle Park on April 7, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Brandon Vallance/Getty Images) | Getty Images
On Monday, the San Francisco Giants lost to the Philadelphia Phillies 6-4, and I crafted an entire maybe-I’m-thinking-about-this-too-much narrative to go with it. In my recap, I mentioned the sloppiness and (in)attention to detail that has plagued the Giants through this cold, hard, long two-week season, and how they appeared to rid themselves of it on Monday, only to have it boomerang back and smack them in the face.
On Tuesday, the Giants beat the Phillies 6-0. This time there would be no boomerang. There would be no fakeout. There would be no false hope and ensuing punishment for emptying your retirement savings to throw money at the salesman selling the false hope at your doorstep.
There were mistakes, however. We’ll cover those. And then we’ll circle back to them at the end of this article, for the grand aha! moment. Not unlike a boomerang. Just not a rude boomerang that sends you to bed miserable and leads your therapist to ask you why you let a group of adults who have never met you dictate your mood for nearly seven months of the year.
It was an ominous beginning, as one of those aforementioned mistakes arrived early, like the monster in the opening credits of a horror film that then disappears, and you’re not sure whether it’s going to come back as a key part of the plot, or if it was just a silly little juke. Robbie Ray got Trea Turner to ground out on the second pitch of the game, before ceding a first-pitch single to Kyle Schwarber. It then took Ray all of one pitch against two-time MVP — and one of Monday’s heroes — Bryce Harper to get the lefty slugger to chop a tailor made double play ball to second base.
Ray had taken the opening part of Philly’s lineup — a trio of hitters with a combined 14 All-Star appearances, currently on contracts that will pay them a combined $780 million — and retired them on all of four pitches.
Or so you thought at the crack of the bat. Unfortunately, even with plenty of time to make a good throw and a fine feed from Luis Arráez, Willy Adames missed first base badly, allowing Harper to reach on a fielder’s choice.
It had the potential to be a painful mistake, robbing Ray of not just a quick inning, but possibly a scoreless one, given that lefty masher Adolis García was stepping to the plate.
But Ray struck him out. Sure, it meant throwing an extra six pitches, but so what. He picked his teammate up.
In the bottom half of the inning, Adames’ picked himself up. Facing a star pitcher in Christopher Sánchez, Adames immediately made the fans at Oracle Park forget about his gaffe with a deep drive to right field that crashed off the bricks.
According to Statcast, it was a home run in 17 parks. At Oracle, it was just a feel-good double.
Matt Chapman followed by turning an 0-2 sinker inside-out for an opposite-field single, and third base coach Hector Borg wisely put on the stop sign for Adames at third.
It was a smart move. García, the right fielder, has a NASA-inspired rocket ship in his throwing arm, there were no outs, and the best contact hitter in baseball, Arráez, was about to step to the plate.
You can score in any manner of ways in baseball, and on this particular occasion, Arráez opted for a 56.7-mph grounder that bounced two feet in front of the plate, ultimately resulting in his own out, but also a run scored.
But this game was the very essence of a devil on one shoulder, angel on the other affair. There were multiple instances where the baseballing seemed to repeat itself, only to offer an opportunity to choose a different, more dangerous path.
And so it was that Adames led off in the third inning, too, and once again hit a double. And so it was that Chapman once again followed up with a single, which once again was hit to right field. And Borg was once again faced with the reality that García has a cannon, there were no outs, and the best contact hitter on the planet was about to step into the box.
Sometimes you do things just to feel something, and so Borg, perhaps unwilling to go to bed tonight without knowing what would have happened had he sent Adames to challenge García, gave him the wave around.
Perhaps it would have been the right call had Heliot Ramos, who hit 0-4 with three strikeouts, been up next. But no: it was contact maven Arráez, who never got the chance for the RBI, because García threw out Adames at home.
Borg chose the angel in the first inning and the devil in the third, and the Giants had made another mistake.
Another such situation occurred, though it was less an angel on one shoulder, and more a second devil that offered a free pass before getting back to his devilish ways.
In the second inning, with one out and a runner on base, Daniel Susac bopped a single, bringing up Jared Oliva for his first plate appearance of the year. He chopped a grounder to the left side, where Edmundo Sosa fielded it and kicked off an inning-ending double play.
In the fifth inning, Susac led off with a single, making him a perfect 5-5 (with a walk!) in his young MLB career (he would be retired for the first time in his next at-bat). Oliva again came up to bat, and again chopped an easy double play ball to the left side of the infield.
This time it went to Turner, who looked up to check on the runners, and consequently forgot to catch the ball. He would make no throw, and neither runner would be out. But, as if to atone for the fact that he had failed to hit the double play he was supposed to, Oliva was then promptly back-picked at first base.
In all, it was a rough first start of the year for Oliva, whose night ended when he awkwardly went to the batter’s box for a third plate appearance without realizing that he was being pinch-hit for.
But that seemingly-costly mistake (the out at first, not the pinch-hitting blunder, which presumably was the fault of someone in the dugout) did not haunt the Giants, as they unveiled something we haven’t seen much of this year: two-out magic. After Adames popped out for the second out of the inning, Chapman (who is heating up in a big way) blasted his third hit of the day, a 111.7-mph double to score Susac.
Arráez, eager to have so many opportunities with runners in scoring position, showed off his two-strike prowess with a 1-2 single into center, scoring Chapman. Suddenly the Giants led 3-0.
They weren’t done. Perhaps the most important bit of turning a mistake into a positive came an inning later, when Rafael Devers led off with a single. That brought up Casey Schmitt, who returned to the lineup as the DH after a few days out with an injury.
Sánchez had gotten the best of Schmitt to that point. He struck him out in the second, and then struck him out on three pitches in the fourth. He had so much ownage on Schmitt to that point, that Schmitt started off the at-bat by attempting a bunt. A bunt! In this economy!
He did not succeed, and soon he was down in the count 1-2, with no choice but to swing. And swing he did, lifting a ball deep into triple’s alley, though it hopped over the fence, costing him a third bag and an RBI. Instead, that work would fall to Jung Hoo Lee, who entered the game as a pinch-hitter and easily brought the run home with a sacrifice fly.
All of this, however, was made possible by Ray, who thoroughly outclassed the Phillies. Ray didn’t always make it easy for himself, but he did always escape. Following that one-out single to set the table for Harper, Ray gave up a leadoff double to Sosa to open up the second. He followed that up with a leadoff walk to Harper in the fourth.
But he got out of those situations each time. And while he wasn’t exactly operating with peak efficiency, he was getting the job done as well as anyone.
Despite a rising pinch count, Ray was permitted to take his shutout all the way to the seventh inning, which was very understandable given the way the bullpen has behaved lately. It was there where, for the first and last time, Ray got himself into a pickle he couldn’t quite remove himself from.
It started, once again, with a leadoff runner reaching base, this time a Sosa walk. He recovered to get the next two outs, before losing a long battle to Dylan Moore, and issuing the second walk of the inning.
With that, Ray had not only started to show some wavering command, but had reached 109 pitches, and his night came to an end.
Which brings us back to Monday. During that game, Tony Vitello let Adrian Houser start the seventh, before pulling him with two runners on, and bringing in Ryan Borucki, who let both inherited runners score to bloat Houser’s ERA.
On Tuesday, and admittedly with two more outs, Vitello turned to his don’t-call-him-a-closer-just-call-him-when-you-need-him reliever, Ryan Walker, who inherited the two-on, two-out situation.
Walker, as he does, scared the [MadLibs: noun] out of you, turning an 0-2 count into a 3-2 count, while throwing a wild pitch that advanced the runners. But finally he got Crawford to ground out, ending the biggest threat of the night, and preserving the 4-0 lead.
That put a cap on a stellar Ray line: 6.2 innings, three hits, three walks, seven strikeouts, and no runs. When a team is struggling, they need a veteran with star potential to take over a game sometimes, and make life easier for everyone else.
From there, it was all about having a little fun, giving you another little scare, and scoring a few extra runs, just for the hell of it. Walker stayed in to pitch the eighth and, despite having a few issues locating the strike zone, and giving up a leadoff infield single to Turner and a one-out walk to Harper, got out of the inning unscathed.
The offense, meanwhile, tacked on some insurance with a delightful eighth inning rally, which began when Ramos reached base on a leadoff error (which probably should have been an infield hit), and continued when Schmitt drew a one-out walk.
And then, with two outs, came the big hit: Susac, the feel-good story of the year, tripled down the first-base line, scoring both runners, and securing his second three-hit game in as many Major League starts. He now has twice as many three-hit games in the Majors as his brother, and somewhere the A’s are wondering what in the world they’ve done.
Which brings us back to the moral of the story: teams make mistakes. All teams make mistakes. All teams make mistakes in all their games. For most of this season, the Giants have not had the talent or ability to overcome their own mistakes, so it has felt like those mistakes are out to get them. But then games like this happen, and you get to the end and barely remember Adames’ errant throw, or Oliva’s baserunning blunder, or Borg’s decision, or Ray’s leadoff hitters. Because when you play well, the mistakes are just speed bumps, instead of boulders dropped on your car like a freaky Mario Kart level.
The Giants worked around them. They should do that more often. I hear it’s what the good teams do, not that I’d know anything about that.
INGLEWOOD, CA - APRIL 7: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks drives to the basket during the game against the LA Clippers on April 7, 2026 at Intuit Dome 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 Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Dallas Mavericks were out west Tuesday night to take on the Los Angeles Clippers in what ended in a 116-103 loss. This one started very ugly, got better to the tune of the Mavs impossibly taking a lead, and then trended back to ugly. Here are a few stats to know from a rough night.
17 straight: Clippers scoring run to begin the game
The Clippers absolutely blitzed the Mavs from the opening tip. Their 17-0 scoring run took place over the first three minutes and 22 seconds of the game, putting the Mavs in a large hole almost instantly. The scoring outburst wasn’t so much a haymaker as it was a high-speed food processor that calmly obliterated whatever it touched. The Clippers shot over 70% from the floor during (and beyond) their run, ripping through the Mavs with precision. Meanwhile, all Mavs not named Cooper Flagg couldn’t quite find the touch until the latter half of the quarter when Marvin Bagley checked in to help Flagg chip away at the lead just a bit.
35%: The Mavericks overall shooting percentage
The Clippers 17-0 run to start the game was due in part to the Mavs missing makable shots, a trend that continued throughout the night. The Mavs managed to hoist up 100 total shots, but only made 35 of them. Missing 65 shots in 48 minutes is a remarkable feat for all the wrong reasons. Amazingly, players such as Marvin Bagley (8-for-11) and Ryan Nembhard (6-for-12) were very efficient, which really goes to show you just how bad the shooting was from everyone else.
18.2%: The Mavericks three-point shooting percentage
If you thought the prior stat was bad, this one really takes the cake. Dallas converted at a 6-for-33 clip from deep on Tuesday night. For perspective, Kawhi Leonard matched the entire output of the Mavs’ team from downtown. Klay Thompson was the biggest culprit for Dallas, going 1-for-10 from beyond the arc, though Max Christie’s 0-for-5 was nothing to write home about either. Dallas has not been a good three-point shooting team all year, but this was shockingly bad to witness.
27/28: Dallas’ free throw attempts and makes
The only thing the Mavs could hit against Los Angeles was free throws, of which they got many. Dallas was an exceptional 27-for-28 from the free throw line. Despite it not helping the outcome, it at least made the final score look a tad more presentable. The starters who attempted a free throw (Flagg, Christie and Dwight Powell) were a perfect 20-for-20 from the stripe
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BOTTOM LINE: Oklahoma City aims to keep its six-game win streak intact when the Thunder take on Los Angeles.
The Clippers are 24-25 against Western Conference opponents. Los Angeles ranks fifth in the Western Conference in team defense, allowing only 112.4 points while holding opponents to 46.8% shooting.
The Thunder have gone 40-9 against Western Conference opponents. Oklahoma City is 5-6 in games decided by less than 4 points.
The 114.0 points per game the Clippers score are 6.7 more points than the Thunder allow (107.3). The Thunder average 13.8 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.5 more makes per game than the Clippers allow.
The teams play for the third time this season. The Thunder won the last meeting 122-101 on Dec. 19. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 32 points to help lead the Thunder to the victory.
TOP PERFORMERS: John Collins is shooting 55.6% and averaging 13.7 points for the Clippers. Kawhi Leonard is averaging 23.5 points over the last 10 games.
Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 31.4 points and 6.5 assists for the Thunder. Chet Holmgren is averaging 11.3 points over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Clippers: 7-3, averaging 118.3 points, 40.8 rebounds, 24.6 assists, 10.2 steals and 6.0 blocks per game while shooting 50.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 109.6 points per game.
Thunder: 9-1, averaging 124.9 points, 46.4 rebounds, 27.5 assists, 9.8 steals and 5.4 blocks per game while shooting 51.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 104.2 points.
INJURIES: Clippers: Isaiah Jackson: out (ankle), Yanic Konan Niederhauser: out for season (foot), Bradley Beal: out for season (hip).
Thunder: Jalen Williams: out (hamstring), Thomas Sorber: out for season (knee).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
BOTTOM LINE: Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks visit Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday.
The Suns are 27-22 in conference play. Phoenix is at the bottom of the Western Conference scoring 43.0 points per game in the paint.
The Mavericks are 14-35 against conference opponents. Dallas is fourth in the Western Conference with 44.7 rebounds per game led by P.J. Washington averaging 7.0.
The Suns are shooting 45.5% from the field this season, 2.2 percentage points lower than the 47.7% the Mavericks allow to opponents. The Mavericks average 10.7 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.4 fewer made shots on average than the 12.1 per game the Suns give up.
The teams meet for the third time this season. The Suns won 120-111 in the last matchup on Feb. 11.
TOP PERFORMERS: Royce O'Neale is scoring 9.8 points per game and averaging 4.8 rebounds for the Suns. Booker is averaging 26.5 points and 3.2 rebounds over the last 10 games.
Max Christie is scoring 12.2 points per game and averaging 3.3 rebounds for the Mavericks. Flagg is averaging 26.5 points and 6.6 rebounds over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Suns: 4-5, averaging 115.6 points, 42.3 rebounds, 25.3 assists, 8.8 steals and 5.1 blocks per game while shooting 46.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.7 points per game.
Mavericks: 2-8, averaging 117.4 points, 43.1 rebounds, 25.2 assists, 8.8 steals and 4.7 blocks per game while shooting 45.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 127.4 points.
INJURIES: Suns: Haywood Highsmith: out (knee).
Mavericks: P.J. Washington: out (elbow), Dereck Lively II: out for season (foot), Daniel Gafford: out (shoulder), Caleb Martin: out (heel), Brandon Williams: out (illness), Kyrie Irving: out for season (knee).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
At the end of the first quarter of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 123–87 dismantling of the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena, the UCLA Bruins women’s basketball team walked into the spotlight carrying something heavier than gold — their place in history.
Just two nights removed from a 79–51 title-clinching win over the South Carolina Gamecocks in the NCAA national championship in Phoenix, the Bruins were introduced at halfcourt.
Head coach Cori Close stood off to the left, with stars Lauren Betts, Sienna Betts, Gabriela Jaquez, Kiki Rice, and the rest of the team holding up their national championship trophy and waving at fans.
UCLA women’s basketball team is honored at halfcourt during the Thunder’s 123-87 blowout win over the Lakers on April 7, 2026 in Los Angeles. NBAE via Getty Images
The women of Westwood got the loudest ovation by far, especially considering it was another blowout for the purple and gold at the hands of OKC.
Even some of the celebrities sitting courtside took notice. Academy Award nominee for best actress, Kate Hudson, sat courtside and greeted the players, giving them her congratulations on their impressive performance.
The champs are here! The Lakers honor UCLA Women’s basketball team after winning the 2026 NCAA tournament pic.twitter.com/ullOVNxdM7
The same could not be said for the Lakers. Playing without LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves the team didn’t put up much of a fight against the reigning NBA champions.
Typically, when NHL teams outshoot their opponent 28-10, they can expect to win. That is, in fact, what happened on Wednesday when the Vegas Golden Knights wrapped up their season series against the Vancouver Canucks with a 2-1 victory— but the win didn’t come easily.
“It certainly wasn’t pretty. But we found a way to lead, and we found a way to win,” said head coach John Tortorella postgame.
The Golden Knights took it to the Canucks right from puck drop. In the first period, they outshot Vancouver 10-2 and generated seven high-danger scoring chances while only allowing one.
“I think we started the game really well,” said Nic Dowd following the 2-1 win. “In my opinion, it’s probably one of those games where you want to jump on the team early. You get chances, you want to try and put those away and kind of step on them a little bit. And obviously we didn’t, right?
“But sticking with it, not getting bored, trying to stay consistent, understanding that the tough plays are the ones that are going to earn you offense and not make you play defense, we didn’t get away from that, and we were rewarded for it down the stretch,” Dowd finished.
The Canucks broke the ice at 12:50 in the second period. Linus Karlsson won a board battle, and Teddy Blueger came up with the puck. Blueger entered the offensive zone and found Max Sasson, who drove down into the right circle and beat Carter Hart far-side.
The Golden Knights answered back just 1:56 later. Colton Sissons pressured Marcus Pettersson into a turnover behind the net, and Brandon Saad corralled the loose puck. Saad reset back for Shea Theodore at the blue line; Theodore worked the puck over to his defensive partner, Brayden McNabb, who stepped into his shot and scored from distance.
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) April 8, 2026
In the third, the Golden Knights locked it down defensively. It took the Canucks nearly 14 minutes to record their first shot of the period.The Golden Knights took their first lead of the game at 12:13 in the third. Cole Smith forced a turnover at the blue line, entered the zone, and left the puck for Nic Dowd. Dowd drove deeper in the zone and found Smith in the slot for the go-ahead goal.
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) April 8, 2026
Rasmus Anderson was called for interference towards the end of the period, and the Canucks headed to the power play with 1:41 remaining in regulation. They pulled their goaltender for the extra attacker, but the Golden Knights held them to just one shot on goal and held on for the 2-1 win.
“It’s just one of those games that can get away from you. And that’s what I like about our team, they stayed with it,” Tortorella said postgame. “Good teams win those games.”
Three Takeaways of the Knight
1. On one hand, the Golden Knights need more from their top offensive performers. Vancouver leads the league in goals allowed, and this one came down to the wire. The only reason the Golden Knights won is that the Canucks are dead last in the league in scoring.
On the other hand, the Golden Knights are getting consistent depth scoring, which helps offset the need for more from top performers. They’ve gotten goals from a defenseman in three of their last four games. That matters.
2. It’s been a roller coaster of a season for the Golden Knights as far as the standings are concerned. They comfortably led the Pacific Division heading into the Olympic Break. Then, just last week, they were struggling to stay afloat as third in the division.
After tonight’s win, they’re tied for first in the Pacific once more, though the Oilers hold the tiebreaker.
3. Elsewhere, the Nashville Predators steamrolled the Anaheim Ducks, and the Utah Mammoth beat the Edmonton Oilers in overtime. Hence, the Golden Knights needed this win to keep pace in the standings. At this time of year, it doesn’t matter if two points come against the third team in the league or the 32nd. For the Golden Knights, all that matters is stacking wins and improving their chances of securing home-ice advantage in the postseason.
The Ducks entered this game on the back of a five-game losing streak and had seen their five-point lead in the Pacific Division evaporate. As of Tuesday, they were tied with the Edmonton Oilers for first place and just one point ahead of the Vegas Golden Knights in third. A win in this one would have gone a long way in relieving unexpected tension at this point in the season.
Their opponent, the Predators, came into this game on their second leg of a back-to-back, having lost in a shootout to the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 on Monday. The Preds came into this game one point behind LA and one point ahead of the San Jose Sharks, but still on the outside looking in at the playoff picture.
Cutter Gauthier (upper body) and Radko Gudas (lower body) remained out of the Ducks’ lineup in this game. Ian Moore seems locked in as a fourth-line winger for the foreseeable future, and was joined by Olen Zellweger. Frank Vatrano acted as the team’s healthy scratch in this game, and Pavel Mintyukov returned to the lineup after missing the last three games with a lower-body injury. Tyson Hinds received his second career start in this game.
Here’s how the Ducks lined up to start this game:
Granlund-Carlsson-Terry
Kreider-Poehling-Sennecke Killorn-McTavish-Viel
Zellweger-Washe-Moore
LaCombe-Trouba
Mintyukov-Carlson
Hinds-Helleson
Lukas Dostal got the start in this game and saved 20 of 25 shots. He was opposed by Justus Annunen for Nashville, who stopped all 43 shots he faced in this game, earning himself his third career shutout and first this season.
Game Notes
Game flow and analytics will reveal that the Ducks dominated this game and got “goalied.” Some of that may be true; they faced a dialed goaltender, they controlled possession, and they weren’t on the receiving end of any puck luck. However, the aspects of their game that they’ve been able to paper over for the majority of the season all came to light in this game.
“We started doing exactly what we wanted to do,” Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville said after the game. “We started to sag a bit after they scored the first goal, and they got life. We played the period we wanted. Didn’t get any action around the net with second opportunities, and their goalie played well.”
Two of the biggest ingredients to the Ducks’ winning recipe this season have been outscoring problems and above-average goaltending in the environment provided. In this game, they couldn’t buy a goal, and Dostal was merely human.
“In the last couple of games, there was parts in it where it’s exactly how we wanted to play,” Quenneville continued. “We were seeing teams that have to win the game. We have to win games here. That’s where we’re at.”
Net Front Defending: Whether at 5v5 or on the penalty kill, the Ducks have struggled to box out net front forwards and have struggled to deny cutting forwards access to the front of the crease all season. Typically, when pucks make their way to the point, the strong-side defender will attempt to cut down on an angle and block the shot before it gets to their goaltender. However, if that shot can get through that layer of their defense, there’s typically an open forward at the goal mouth, screening, deflecting, or picking up a rebound.
Their aggressive style also lends way to puck watching from the far side. If the weak-side defender loses focus for a split second, talented puck carriers will easily find an uncovered teammate on their way to a dangerous locale.
Rush Defense: The Ducks have been remarkably susceptible to giving up odd-man rushes, stemming from overaggressiveness in the offensive and neutral zones. When they do have numbers tracking back energetically, they have an unfortunate tendency to over-pursue or fail to pick up their assignments.
These rush and net-front defending issues have plagued the Ducks all season, despite their success, and all came to fruition in this game on each of Nashville’s five goals.
Power Play: Nashville’s penalty kill did well to pressure Anaheim along the wall and at the offensive blueline. Seams were non-existent, and shots were challenged. The only aspect, an aspect they failed to reproduce, was player and puck movement through the middle of the ice, utilizing their bumper and switching along the perimeter.
Beckett Sennecke: Sennecke was one of the Ducks’ more consistent offensive drivers in this game, sparking chances from all three zones. What stood out most in this game, playing on the right side of Leo Carlsson and opposite Mikael Granlund, was his ability to make smart, effective second touches out of the zone on the breakout.
Sennecke consistently scanned before getting to spots and before pucks arrived, reading flow, coverage, and teammates with speed. He made clever one-touches to Carlsson, made crisp cross-ice stretch passes to Granlund in the neutral zone, utilized defensemen for regroups, and when he had a fraction of a second, he even pulled pucks off the wall himself, skating to the middle of the ice and starting a rush.
The Ducks will look to snap their six-game winless streak at the most dire juncture of the season, on Thursday, when they’ll host Macklin Celebrini and his hungry San Jose Sharks squad, vying for a playoff spot.
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 7: Rui Hachimura #28 of the Los Angeles Lakers dunks the ball during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 7, 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
The final score of Tuesday’s game was both a reflection of the chasm in talent between the Lakers and Thunder but also not entirely indicative of the effort LA gave to start the game either.
For the opening 18 minutes, the hosts held their own on the back of effort and energy plays on both ends. Some timely 3-pointers from unlikely — and unsustainable — sources helped them keep pace with Oklahoma City. But once the threes dried up and the free throws clanked off the rim endlessly, LA didn’t have any more answers and, well, you get a 36-point defeat.
As a result and considering the circumstances, there’s going to be a lot of grace given in these grades. Not one player was playing a role they’re suited for and many of the players have more minutes in the G League than the NBA in recent months. And they were playing against the best team in the NBA. This was never going to be pretty.
So, let’s dive into the loss. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.
An unexpected start for Timme, who started the game really well with 10 early points. That he finished with 11 points should tell you how the rest of the game went.
As harsh as you could be with Ayton after putting up this stat line, he was being defended by a First Team All-Defense caliber player in Chet Holmgren and was without the four ballhandlers he has the most chemistry with.
Of all the players who have had their role change the most in the last five days, Kennard might top that list. From largely an off-ball scorer to the lead point guard tonight.
Finally, Thiero got some run and it was as fun as you’d hope. Head coach JJ Redick mentioned that he was right at his minutes restriction, but he did a lot in that short span.
Bronny does look a lot more comfortable now, but his jumper is still shaky at best. It should be the biggest thing he works on this summer. He’s a consistent 3-pointer away from being a legitimate rotation player.
Another player with some surprise early minutes. The bulk of his stats, however, came in garbage time. It was nice to see him get some run and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they try him out a bit more to try to get some more scoring off the bench.
Only fourth quarter minutes for NSJ. He’s seen his role usurped by the combo of Bufkin and Bronny, so it’s hard to imagine him getting much more run this year.
A very rare extended run for Mañon, who received G League All-Defense honors earlier in the day.
Grade: C+
Jarred Vanderbilt
It was an adventurous start for Vando, who made his lone shot and was active but also missed all three free throws after being fouled on a long-range shot late in the first. His night abruptly ended in the second quarter when Redick called an early timeout and pulled him from the game for, as he said postgame, a “confluence of things.” Vando never returned, logging only five minutes.
JJ Redick
It’s a pretty impossible situation Redick has been placed in, but credit for him for having the team ready at the jump. The result felt inevitable, but the fight the team had not just in the opening 18 minutes, but throughout the game was evident.
Even with the likes of LeBron James, Marcus Smart and Jaxson Hayes out tonight but set to return, hopefully some more of the young Lakers continue to get minutes as well.
Grade: B
Tuesday’s inactives: LeBron James, Marcus Smart, Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Jaxson Hayes
