Chicago Bulls (31-50, 12th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Dallas Mavericks (25-56, 13th in the Western Conference)
Dallas; Sunday, 8:30 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: Dallas will try to end its three-game skid when the Mavericks take on Chicago.
The Mavericks have gone 15-25 in home games. Dallas is 12-20 when it has fewer turnovers than its opponents and averages 13.9 turnovers per game.
The Bulls are 13-27 on the road. Chicago has a 13-32 record in games decided by at least 10 points.
The Mavericks score 113.7 points per game, 7.5 fewer points than the 121.2 the Bulls allow. The Bulls average 14.3 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.5 more made shots on average than the 12.8 per game the Mavericks allow.
The teams play for the second time this season. The Bulls won the last matchup 125-107 on Jan. 11, with Matas Buzelis scoring 15 points in the victory.
TOP PERFORMERS: Cooper Flagg is averaging 21.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists for the Mavericks. Max Christie is averaging 10.3 points over the past 10 games.
Tre Jones is averaging 14.2 points and 5.4 assists for the Bulls. Collin Sexton is averaging 19.3 points and 3.6 rebounds while shooting 48.2% over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Mavericks: 2-8, averaging 115.0 points, 41.9 rebounds, 25.4 assists, 8.6 steals and 4.6 blocks per game while shooting 44.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 125.2 points per game.
Bulls: 2-8, averaging 117.1 points, 45.6 rebounds, 26.5 assists, 7.8 steals and 5.0 blocks per game while shooting 46.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 127.6 points.
INJURIES: Mavericks: P.J. Washington: out (elbow), Marvin Bagley III: day to day (shoulder), Dereck Lively II: out for season (foot), Klay Thompson: out (illness), Daniel Gafford: out (rest), Caleb Martin: out (foot), Brandon Williams: out (illness), Kyrie Irving: out for season (knee), Naji Marshall: out (hip).
Bulls: Anfernee Simons: out (wrist), Matas Buzelis: day to day (ankle), Isaac Okoro: out (quad), Jalen Smith: out for season (calf), Noa Essengue: out for season (shoulder), Josh Giddey: out (hamstring), Guerschon Yabusele: out (shoulder), Nick Richards: out (elbow), Zach Collins: out for season (toe).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Sacramento Kings (21-59, 14th in the Western Conference) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (41-40, eighth in the Western Conference)
Portland, Oregon; Sunday, 8:30 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: Portland will try to keep its three-game home win streak intact when the Trail Blazers face Sacramento.
The Trail Blazers are 28-23 against Western Conference opponents. Portland is sixth in the league with 46.0 rebounds led by Donovan Clingan averaging 11.6.
The Kings are 14-37 in Western Conference play. Sacramento has a 12-41 record against teams above .500.
The Trail Blazers are shooting 45.3% from the field this season, 4.2 percentage points lower than the 49.5% the Kings allow to opponents. The Kings average 10.3 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.3 fewer made shots on average than the 12.6 per game the Trail Blazers allow.
The teams meet for the fourth time this season. In the last matchup on Jan. 19 the Trail Blazers won 117-110 led by 30 points from Deni Avdija, while Malik Monk scored 23 points for the Kings.
TOP PERFORMERS: Avdija is averaging 24.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.6 assists for the Trail Blazers. Toumani Camara is averaging 4.3 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
Maxime Raynaud is scoring 12.2 points per game with 7.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists for the Kings. Precious Achiuwa is averaging 12.1 points and 7.5 rebounds while shooting 55.6% over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Trail Blazers: 6-4, averaging 117.3 points, 46.2 rebounds, 25.6 assists, 9.0 steals and 6.4 blocks per game while shooting 46.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 107.0 points per game.
Kings: 3-6, averaging 112.3 points, 43.2 rebounds, 26.0 assists, 7.1 steals and 4.4 blocks per game while shooting 47.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 121.0 points.
INJURIES: Trail Blazers: Jerami Grant: out (calf), Vit Krejci: out (calf), Damian Lillard: out for season (achilles).
Kings: Domantas Sabonis: out for season (back), Russell Westbrook: out (foot), De'Andre Hunter: out for season (eye), Zach LaVine: out for season (finger), Drew Eubanks: out for season (thumb), DeMar DeRozan: out (hamstring), Keegan Murray: out (ankle).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Lakers star LeBron James is fouled as he shoots over Phoenix's Dillon Brooks (3) during the first half Friday at Crypto.com Arena. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
The ball is back in LeBron James' hands, and he is thriving in his “new” role as the Lakers’ primary caretaker.
James is in this position in the wake of injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. He had been the third option behind Doncic and Reaves, and he shifted back to a role he has been accustomed to playing over his 23-year career.
James has been a force over the last three games, with his latest standout performance coming Friday night in the Lakers’ 101-73 win over the Phoenix Suns at Crypto.com Arena.
James finished with 28 points, 12 assists and six rebounds to help the Lakers secure at least the No. 4 seed in the uber-tough Western Conference.
The Lakers (52-29) still have a shot at the third seed if they beat the Utah Jazz at home on Sunday and if the third-place Denver Nuggets lose at San Antonio on Sunday, the final day of the regular season. Because the Lakers won the tiebreaker over the Nuggets, they would get the higher seed over Denver if the two teams finish with identical records.
“Obviously we are going to be able to feed off our crowd. That’s going to be great,” James said. “We’re going to have home court. That’s great for our fans. But the game is played in between the four lines. So, looking forward to that.”
James was 10 for 16 from the field against the Suns and two for two from three-point range.
Lakers guard Luke Kennard, center, controls the ball in front of Phoenix guards Amir Coffey, left, and Jamaree Bouyea during the first half Friday. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Over his last three games in this new role, James has averaged 24.6 points, 12.6 assists and 7.6 rebounds, shooting 60% from the field and 46% from three-point range.
He was on point from the beginning against the Suns.
James quickly went by a defender on a back-door cut, took a pass from Luke Kennard and threw down a two-handed, rim-rattling dunk. James flexed in front of his teammates on the bench, who stood to give their approval. The Suns called time out with four minutes and 53 seconds left in the first quarter, giving the fans more time to appreciate what James was still able to do at 41 years old.
“I’m just trying to make plays,” James said. “I had to tap back into a role that I’ve been accustomed to in the past, but obviously it wasn’t what it was this year. But circumstances have put me back in and I’m just trying to figure out my teammates and my teammates feeding off me and just trying to make things happen for us to continue to stay afloat.”
Whoever the Lakers face in the playoffs, coach JJ Redick believes teams want to face his group because of their injuries. Doncic and Reaves are not expected back for the first-round of the postseason.
“I'm sure everybody wants to play us. Let's get that out there, like, everybody wants to play us,” Redick said before the game. “Probably teams that are in a position where they can start looking forward to potential second-round matchups as well. ... Again, I'll say what I told the team yesterday, what I told you guys after the game, we have to figure out the formula and the belief for this group to be successful. And so that's our focus for tonight and that's going to be our focus on Sunday.”
For Kennard, who had 19 points and three assists in his new role as the lead point guard, the Lakers face a big challenge in the playoffs without Doncic and Reaves.
“You’re missing 60 points a game, and yeah, it’s definitely out there and I’m sure people are thinking about that and what we’re missing,” Kennard said. “But we also have [James] and the way he’s been playing and leading us has been incredible, and obviously, we’re going to need him to continue to do that. But I think these last few games everybody’s starting to get a rhythm.
"We’re starting to figure out what playoffs are going to look like for us, rotations and all of that," Kennard continued. "Guys are getting more comfortable with it and they’re playing well together and it’s been fun. So, yeah, I think no matter who we play, we’re going to be ready to fight from Day 1, Game 1. And they gotta come here first, no matter who it is, and I think we’re going to look forward to it.”
Notes: Lakers backup center Jaxson Hayes missed his third straight game with left foot soreness, but he has been making progress. “Hope to have him back Sunday,” Redick said. “But yeah, he's still day to day.” ... The Lakers waived guard Kobe Bufkin. It means the Lakers have a roster spot available to sign another player for the playoffs. “We're evaluating all the options we have,” Redick said. ... Marcus Smart, who had missed nine straight games with a right ankle contusion, had six points in 18 minutes.
Apr 10, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy (13) hits a solo home run during the second inning against the Texas Rangers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Max Muncy hit his third home run of the game in the bottom of the ninth with two outs to secure a walk-off victory for the Dodgers (10-3) over the Rangers (7-6) immediately following the first blown save by Dodgers new closer Edwin Diaz.
Muncy homered thrice. The hero of the night collected a total of four hits, drove in three runs, and scored five runs. Andy Pages had another huge night at the plate as well. He drove in four runs on three hits to contribute to the Dodgers 8-7 win over the Rangers on Friday night at Dodger Stadium.
Old friends Corey Seager and Joc Pederson helped make it a back-and-forth contest. Seager drove in three runs, and Pederson had a key at-bat.
Muncy got the Dodgers on the board in the second inning with a solo shot to right center for the first of three acts.
The Dodgers went from one run up to two runs down after one swing on a Glasnow fastball from old friend Corey Seager in the third. After Josh Smith and Brandon Nimmo singled, Seager slugged a three-run home run on a two-out 3-2 count.
Muncy went deep for the second time against Rocker in as many plate appearances with two outs in the bottom of the fourth. The solo home run made it a one-run game.
The longest-tenured player on the Dodgers, Muncy, is now alone in third place in LA Dodger history and sixth in franchise history with 212 home runs.
The Rangers got back the run in the next frame thanks to a Wyatt Langford solo home run off a hanging Glasnow curveball.
Hyeseong Kim’s sac fly made it a one-run game once again. Ohtani singled to right field, and the Dodgers had Rocker on the ropes with runners at the corners and two outs. A four-pitch walk to Kyle Tucker loaded the bases for Will Smith. Smith’s bases-loaded double play ended the threat there to keep it 4-3.
In the sixth, the comeback vibes returned. Pages once again came up clutch with a two-RBI double against Texas reliever Robert Garcia to give the Dodgers a 5-4 lead.
Alex Vesia took over for Glasnow in the seventh and continued to pitch dominantly with three strikeouts in a scoreless inning. Glasnow nor Rocker were involved in the decision. Other than the two mistake pitches to Seager and Langford, Glasnow pitched well and struck out seven over six innings of work.
The Dodgers squandered another scoring opportunity when they cornered the Rangers again in the seventh. Freddie Freeman grounded into the third double play of the evening to end the threat.
Tanner Scott blew away Seager with a strikeout and pitched another scoreless inning out of the bullpen, another promising outing from the reliever.
Pages is playing on a whole different level and crushed his fourth homer of the season in the eighth, a two-run missile against right-hander Luis Curvelo for some insurance.
Andy Pages provides some insurance for the @Dodgers!
Sound the trumpets. Edwin Diaz emerged from the Dodgers bullpen to secure the series opener win, but things got sketchy quickly in the top of the ninth. Pederson struck out, but got it overturned on an ABS challenge. Joc subsequently singled. Evan Carter drove in Pederson on a two-run home run against Diaz to make it a one-run game once again.
Diaz intentionally walked Nimmo, but Ezequiel Duran singled home Sam Haggarty to tie the game at seven runs apiece in the top of the ninth. The save was blown, but the Dodgers still had an opportunity to walk it off in the bottom of the ninth.
Muncy saved us from extra-innings with a sweet bat drop after he hit his third home run of the night for a walk-off win.
LP — Jacob Latz (0-1): 2/3 IP, 1 hit, 1 run, no walks, 2 strikeouts (16 pitches)
Note: Will Smith now has 11 successful ABS challenges to lead major-league catchers
Up next
Emmet Sheehan (1-0, 8.00 ERA, 1.89 WHIP) makes his third start of the season for the Dodgers Saturday night (6:10 p.m.; SportsNet LA). Jack Leiter (1-0, 2.45 ERA, 1.00 WHIP) takes the mound for the Rangers.
Apr 10, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano (11) delivers during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
The Colorado Rockies battled all night, grinding through tough at-bats before finally breaking through with two late runs — making the walk-off home run that followed all the more painful. Juan Mejia gets tagged with the loss and Mason Miller picked up the win for the Padres.
Pitchers set the tone early
Tomoyuki Sugano and Walker Buehler traded control early, each working efficiently through the first few innings in a game that quickly took on a low-scoring, tightly contested feel.
Sugano delivered a solid six-inning outing, allowing four hits and two runs while striking out three without issuing a walk on 81 pitches (52 strikes). He mixed his arsenal effectively throughout the night, leaning on his splitter and varying speeds to keep Padres hitters off balance, while also inducing seven ground ball outs.
After navigating early traffic and escaping a key jam in the third, Sugano ran into trouble in the fifth, where two mistakes were both punished for home runs.
Those swings accounted for all of San Diego’s early offense and ultimately proved pivitol in a game with little margin for error. To his credit, Sugano responded with a clean sixth inning to keep Colorado within reach.
Buehler, meanwhile, was efficient and composed, holding the Rockies to three hits over six innings without issuing a walk while striking out four on just 68 pitches.
For much of the night, neither offense generated much impact. The Rockies, in particular, struggled to produce anything resembling sustained pressure, and their lineup felt notably lighter without Hunter Goodman in the starting lineup.
Colorado finished with eight hits — all singles — and no player recorded more than one hit. They struck out a manageable seven times but drew only one walk.
Padres strike first on the long ball
In a game defined by limited offense early, it was power that broke the deadlock.
Gavin Sheets opened the scoring in the fifth with a solo home run to deep right-center:
Those two swings accounted for all of San Diego’s runs through eight innings and highlighted a known challenge for Sugano, whose otherwise strong outing was undone by the pair of mistakes.
Rockies finally break through with scrappy eighth
After seven innings of quiet offense, the Rockies finally found life in the eighth — and did it the hard way.
Brenton Doyle sparked the inning with an infield single and was methodically moved into scoring position on a pair of groundouts from Brett Sullivan and Kyle Karros. With two outs, Goodman, pinch hitting, lined a single up the middle to score Doyle and cut the deficit to 2–1.
Tyler Freeman followed with another base hit, and the inning came full circle when Beck stepped to the plate. After being picked off earlier in the inning in what looked like a costly mistake, Beck delivered in the biggest moment, lining a two-out single to right field. Third base coach Andy González waved Goodman home, and he sprinted around third before diving headfirst across the plate just ahead of the tag to tie the game at 2-2 and cap a remarkable turnaround.
Antonio Senzatela followed Sugano with a strong initial inning, showcasing both velocity and a full pitch mix before running into command issues in the eighth. After recording a momentum-shifting strike-’em-out, throw-’em-out double play, he issued a walk and was lifted as the inning grew tense.
Adrián Morejón absorbed the eighth-inning damage for San Diego before Jason Adam recorded the final out. Miller then struck out the side in the ninth, overpowering the Rockies with triple-digit velocity.
Any momentum the Rockies carried into the ninth quickly disappeared against Miller, but the bottom half proved decisive.
After a leadoff single and a walk put immediate pressure on Juan Mejía, the inning quickly turned into a high-wire act. Mejía recorded a key out on a deep fly ball that allowed the winning run to advance to third, but the margin for error had vanished.
Moments later, Sheets ended it.
Sheets crushed a pitch deep to right-center for a three-run, walk-off home run — his second of the night — scoring Jackson Merrill and Manny Machado and sealing a 5-2 Padres victory.
Beck’s night encapsulated the volatility of baseball.
After a frustrating sequence earlier in the seventh inning that included a successful ABS challenge and a subsequent pickoff at second base, Beck found himself back in a defining moment — and delivered. His game-tying hit transformed what could have been a night defined by a mistake into one defined by resilience. Is it a step in the right direction?
In a game defined by fine margins, the difference ultimately came down to a handful of swings.
The Rockies showed resilience, clawing back with a scrappy eighth inning and getting contributions up and down the lineup. But three home runs from San Diego — including one final, decisive blast — proved too much to overcome.
Even in defeat, the effort was there: gritty, competitive, and just short of enough.
Up Next
The Rockies are back at it again against these same San Diego Padres tomorrow evening.
They’ll face former Rockie Germán Márquez at 6:40 p.m. MT, a familiar face now standing in the way as Colorado looks to respond after two painful finishes. The Rockies will counter with Ryan Feltner, making his third start of the season.
After back-to-back walk-off heartbreaks, the Rockies have shown they can fight. Now they have to prove they can finish.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 01: Miguel Andujar #41 of the San Diego Padres looks on before the game against the San Francisco Giants at Petco Park on April 01, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Diego Padres did not start the season well at home in their first six games versus the Detroit Tigers and San Francisco Giants, facing excellent starting pitching and showing an anemic offense, the Friars went 2-4 at home.
The road trip to Boston to face the Red Sox for their home opener also featured a struggling Padres offense with four hits against Boston starter Sonny Gray. But then the tide turned and the Padres took the last two against the Red Sox in cold and rainy weather. They moved on to Pittsburgh, playing a Pirates team that had won five straight. Taking two of three from Pittsburgh, the Padres showed their grit and perseverance while again playing in cold weather.
With the Padres starters are having some uneven performances and the bullpen is showing some stumbles to start the year, the offense was finally able to put up some runs with timely hitting and a standout pitching performance from Germán Márquez.
Nick Pivetta and Michael King show that they are working to stabilize their early season command issues while Randy Vasquez has put up a 0.75 ERA through two starts and 12 innings pitched.
Walker Buehler remains the only starter not to show improvement, he has a 9.45 ERA over his 6.2 innings pitched in two starts.
Mason Miller
The Padres closer has wowed all of baseball with his dominance, carrying over from the trend he started last season. In five games and 5.2 innings pitched so far this year, Miller has four saves and 13 strikeouts while allowing one hit and one walk. Including last postseason, Miller has 26.2 innings of scoreless relief that began last August. He has a 64% strikeout rate since last August and has K’d 76 of the 119 hitters he has faced.
Miller was at his hometown park in Pittsburgh for the first time as a closer and manager Craig Stammen brought him in for the series finale, despite the team being up by six runs. He had family and friends there to see him pitch so a non-save situation was justified for the reliever. He topped out at 102.8 mph in his appearance, again featuring his wipeout slider and mixing in a changeup.
Bullpen issues
The Padres bullpen is expected to be a strength in 2026. It has not started out that way. In 12 games and 49.2 innings pitched, the Friar bullpen sits with a 3.44 ERA, 12th worst in baseball. Normally, Adrian Morejon is dominant in his appearances. In 2025 he finished the year with a 2.08 ERA, second only to Jason Adam with a 1.93 ERA for the full season.
He currently has five innings pitched over four appearances with a 10.80 ERA. His command has been way off so far, allowing 10 hits and seven runs with only five strikeouts.
In contrast, David Morgan has been quietly excellent. He has five appearances and seven innings pitched with five hits allowed and no earned runs despite allowing six walks to five strikeouts.
Offensive struggles
An inconsistent offense has been highlighted by the futility of the lead-off hitter for the Padres. In their first 12 games the Friars have used Fernando Tatis Jr. for five games at leadoff. He has three hits and one RBI. Ramon Laureano has hit leadoff in four games and also has three hits and one RBI. Jake Cronenworth has been leadoff against some right-handed starters and in three games he has one hit. Overall, the three current leadoff batters have a combined .140 average and .369 OPS, the worst in baseball.
Their team batting average of .213 is 25th and the team OPS of .618 is 26th.
The bright spot has been the bottom of the line up. Gavin Sheets, Miguel Andujar, Nick Castellanos, Luis Campusano, Jake Cronenworth and Freddy Fermin have mostly occupied the bottom of the order for the Padres.
Andujar leads all Padres with a .310 average and .823 OPS. Castellanos is second with a .261 average with five RBI. Gavin Sheets has four doubles and two RBI while Jake Cronenworth has delivered a couple timely hits with three RBI and Fermin also has two doubles.
Luis Campusano started the year slowly but went 3-for-9 against the Pirates with two doubles and two RBI.
The power has been slow to develop for the Padres over their first 12 games. They have seven homers with Jackson Merrill and Ramon Laureano having two each. Their slug has been slightly better due to the number of doubles they have so far this year (26) and they are tied for second in that category.
Injury updates
Joe Musgrove has continued to play catch since he began at the beginning of April. No timeline exists for his return to pitching and he has not graduated to the mound yet.
Jason Adam completed pitching in back-to-back games with El Paso on April 4 and 5 then was kept with the Chihuahuas to pitch two innings in their game on Wednesday. He threw two perfect frames after skipping a day from his back-to- backs. He has a total of five scoreless innings with El Paso. He should be joining the Padres for this homestand.
Griffin Canning started the first game of the doubleheader on April 4, going 2.1 innings with three hits and a run and four strikeouts in 51 pitches. He will be advanced slowly and should have a buildup similar to a spring training schedule.
Yuki Matsui has made two appearances and two innings pitched with two hits and no runs with two strikeouts. He will need to go back-to-back and maybe multiple innings before being ready.
Matt Waldron continues his buildup with El Paso with seven innings pitched and no runs allowed. He will make his third start April 9.
Sung-Mun Song has played in 10 games with 36 at-bats. He has appeared at short, second, third and DH. It seems the outfield experiment for Song was scraped when he reaggravated his oblique injury in spring camp. He is hitting .278 with a .656 OPS but has 13 strikeouts in his 36 at-bats with four walks.
New City Connect unis
The Padres unveiled their new City Connect uniforms on April 9 and will wear them for the first time on Friday April 10 against the Colorado Rockies. Seven MLB teams unveiled their new alternate uniforms for 2026 on April 9. The Padres’ unis feature a tribute to the 1998 team with the blue and orange theme as well as a nod to the bi-cultural location of the team with the La Catrina patch for Dia de los Muertos.
The jersey is pullover style all in blue with marigold trim and braiding as well as bone-colored pants with marigold braiding. The hat is bone with a blue brim and blue/marigold interlocking SD.
The new gear is available on line at the Padres.com shop and at the team store.
For the briefest of moments, Friday was in danger of becoming the ugliest night of the Dodgers’ young season.
Then, Max Muncy produced the campaign’s biggest early highlight.
In an 8-7 win over the Texas Rangers, Muncy hit three home runs for the second time in his MLB career. The first opened the scoring. The second chipped away at a mid-game deficit. And the last one sailed out to right for a walk-off drive in the bottom of the ninth –– saving the day after closer Edwin Díaz blew a three-run lead in the top half of the inning.
Muncy came up in the bottom half of the ninth and saved the day with one swing AP
Muncy’s walk-off was somewhat unexpected, coming in a 0-2 count in a left-on-left matchup against Rangers reliever Jakob Latz.
The result, however, set off pandemonium all around Dodger Stadium, culminating in a mob at home plate in which the veteran third baseman found himself at the center.
“It’s a special night,” Muncy said. “Coming up with a win’s the most important thing.”
The Dodgers (10-3) should’ve won the game much easier, of course, after erasing an early deficit on the back of Andy Pages’ 3-for-3, four-RBI outburst; continuing his surge as the hottest current hitter in the league.
Down 4-2 in the fifth inning –– after Muncy’s two opening solo blasts were negated by long balls Corey Seager and Wyatt Langford hit off Tyler Glasnow –– Pages drew a leadoff walk and scored on a Hyeseong Kim sacrifice fly, cutting the deficit to one.
Then, he flipped the score in the bottom of the sixth inning, lining a go-ahead two-run, two-out double the other way to give the Dodgers a 5-4 advantage.
Andy Pages’ big night was nearly wasted by Edwin Díaz’s first blown save as Dodgers closer. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Pages wasn’t done there, either. In the eighth, he belted a two-run homer that stretched the lead to three runs ahead of Díaz’s entrance in the ninth.
For the first time this year, however, the $69 million closer imploded, giving up a two-run homer to Evan Carter with no outs in the inning, then a pair of two-out singles to Josh Jung and Ezequiel Duran that leveled the score.
No matter, of course.
Not for these Dodgers, who already have six come-from-behind wins so far this year.
And not on Friday, when Muncy elevated the team’s hot start to an even more euphoric walk-off high.
“I’d say that’s a sign of a good team,” manager Dave Roberts said. “A good trait for our ball club.”
What it means
When the Dodgers finished their opening homestand last week, there were questions about what was then a sluggish lineup.
Now, their offense is firing on (almost) all cylinders.
And it has started, surprisingly, at the bottom of the order.
Entering Friday, the Dodgers were getting ridiculous production from the Nos. 5-9 spots in their lineup, leading the majors in everything from batting average (.315 –– almost 50 points higher than any other club) to OPS (.857 –– some 70 points higher than the next closest offense) to home runs (nine) and runs scored (38).
Those marks will only climb after Friday, in which Muncy went 4-for-5 from the five-hole, Pages went 3-for-3 while batting seventh, and the bottom-half unit as a whole combined for 12 total hits.
Because of that, it hasn’t mattered that Shohei Ohtani, Kyle Tucker, Will Smith and Freddie Freeman are all hitting under .275; nor that Mookie Betts remains sidelined with an oblique strain.
“That,” Roberts said, “is a good thing for us.”
Who’s hot
With all due respect to Muncy, there’s still no one swinging a hotter bat than Pages.
Entering Friday, Pages was coming off his first bad game of an otherwise breakout start to the season, having struck four times in Wednesday’s series finale in Toronto.
His response: Hitting an opposite-field single in the second, drawing a leadoff walk in the fifth to spark a rally, then delivering the two swings that helped flip the game with his double in the sixth and home run in the eighth.
As a result, Pages remains MLB’s batting leader with a .449 average through his first 13 games. He is now also tied for the most RBIs in the majors, joining Braves catcher Drake Baldwin with 16.
“You just can’t say enough about what Andy’s done,” Roberts said. “He’s going to be talked about a lot this year.”
Who’s not
Díaz had been a perfect 4-for-4 on save opportunities and given up only one total run in his first five outings of the season.
But even before Friday, neither his fastball nor slider looked as sharp as usual in his debut Dodgers season.
It finally caught up with him against the Rangers. His typically upper-90s mph heater was barely clocking 95. And, in Roberts’ view, he wasn’t “finishing” with a slider that got only two whiffs on 11 swings.
The inning still could’ve been different. Díaz, for example, had gotten a called third strike against his first batter, Joc Pederson, only for the punchout to be negated by an ABS challenge.
However, the performance was shaky enough for Roberts to be asked if there was any concern level with his new closer.
“No,” he answered declaratively. “I was talking to some of the (pitching) guys and they say that perennially that’s what he does. Starts a little slower and then the velocity starts to creep up. So not too much of a concern.”
Up next
The Dodgers and Rangers resume their series Saturday, when Emmet Sheehan will look to bounce back from two opening starts this season in which he has posted an 8.00 ERA and battled decreased fastball velocity. Jack Leiter will go for Texas, having struck out 17 batters with a 2.45 ERA in his first two starts.
Max Muncy, left, celebrates with teammates at home plate after hitting a walk-off home run in an 8-7 victory over the Texas Rangers at Dodger Stadium on Friday night. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Everyone trusts Max Muncy to lay off bad pitches. The trick was to lay off carbs.
The Dodgers’ 35-year-old third baseman gave up bread and came into this season 17 pounds lighter. Older and quicker, healthy and ready to fight for a third consecutive World Series crown.
The best version of himself, having the best of games when the Dodgers needed it.
He hit three home runs Friday in an 8-7 victory over the Texas Rangers as the Dodgers improved to 10-3 and became baseball’s first team to achieve double-digit victories.
Muncy's third long ball — a two-out, no-doubt-about-it, 401-foot solo shot to right-center in the bottom of the ninth inning — was the game-winner. He's the first player with a three-home run game that included a walk-off homer since the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Jack Suwinski did it in 2022. He is only the second player in Dodgers history to have a walk-off homer as part of a three-home run game, joining Don Demeter, who accomplished the feat on April 21, 1959, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
Muncy’s first two home runs Friday — Nos. 2 and 3 this season — came in the second and fourth innings and were the 211th and 212th in his Dodgers’ tenure, tying and then surpassing Steve Garvey for third-most in the franchise's Los Angeles history.
“It's just special, any time you hit a home run in a big league game is special, let alone three,” said Muncy, who now has 20 multi-homer games and two with three home runs. “I still think about the first time I did, so it's just a special night, and to get the win on top of it was great."
Muncy and Andy Pages, the Dodgers’ scorching-hot seventh hitter, combined to go seven for eight and score seven runs, drive in seven runs and hit four home runs. Pages’ big league-leading batting average climbed yet higher, to .449.
Max Muncy hits a walk-off home run to lift the Dodgers to an 8-7 win over the Texas Rangers at Dodger Stadium on Friday night. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Together, they kept the Dodgers afloat in a game that went back and forth, up and down, bobble-head style.
They found themselves playing from behind for the ninth time in 13 games, and coming back to win one of those games for the sixth time. And even though closer Edwin Díaz blew a save for the first time as a Dodger, he wound up with the win, thanks to Muncy’s final blast.
The closer served as something of a setup man — setting the stage for Muncy to save them in the ninth inning with his fourth career walk-off home run.
Dodgers starter Tyler Glasnow pitched six innings, struck out seven and gave up four runs on five hits — including two home runs, one of them to former Dodger Corey Seager, whose 409-foot, two-run shot gave Texas a 3-1 lead in the third inning.
Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow delivers in the first inning against Texas on Friday at Dodger Stadium. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Relievers Alex Vesia and Tanner Scott both pitched a scoreless inning before closer Díaz entered in the ninth, with the Dodgers ahead 7-4.
Díaz gave up a single to former Dodger Joc Pedersen and then a two-run home run to Evan Carter that cut the lead to 7-6. Then Ezequiel Duran singled in Sam Haggerty to tie the score.
“I was talking to some of the guys and they say that perennially that's what [Díaz] does,” Dodgers manager Dave Robert said, acknowledging that his much-ballyhooed new closer isn’t throwing as hard as he has in the past. “Starts a little slower and then the velocity starts to creep up. So not too much of a concern.”
Neither is the Dodgers’ knack for falling behind, Roberts insisted.
“I would actually say that's a good sign in the sense that we keep fighting, and we can come back," he said. "That's the sign of a good team."
Teoscar Hernández tosses sunflower seeds at Andy Pages after Pages hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning against Texas on Friday night. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
With Texas leading 4-2 in the bottom of the fifth, Hyeseong Kim hit a sacrifice fly to drive home Pages, who had walked and advanced to third on Alex Freeland’s single to left, to make it 4-3.
Shohei Ohtani then singled to right to move Freeland to third — and, notably, to extend his on-base streak to 44 games, the longest such streak by a Japanese-born player and the fourth-longest in Dodgers history.
Ohtani — who went one for four with a walk and a strikeout Friday — has also reached base on all seven of his Dodgers bobblehead nights.
“He hasn't really got going yet,” Roberts said. “For us to win the games we've won, scored the runs we've scored ... and Sho isn't going? He's going to get hot. That's a good thing for us.”
This season, the Dodgers determined they needed two games — Friday and July 8 — to honor Ohtani’s “Greatest Game” with the bobblehead treatment.
On Friday, all 53,675 fans went home with a bobbling figurine of Ohtani at the plate, a memento honoring his performance in Game 4 of the NLCS last October. He not only pitched six shutout innings and struck out 10 in that 5-1 NLCS-clinching victory over the Milwaukee Brewers, but he also hit three home runs that traveled a combined 1,342 feet.
The Dodgers’ Miguel Rojas won’t take bereavement leave or travel back to his native Venezuela following the death of his father, Miguel Rojas Sr., Roberts said before the game.
“There’s a lot going on in Venezuela,” Roberts said. “And a lot of his family is kind of dispersed around the world, essentially. He just feels they’ve got a handle on it down there, so he’s going to stay with us.”
Coach JJ Redick reemphasized on Friday night that the Lakers can’t be worried about their playoff seeding considering the circumstances they’re in.
And that the seeding considerations for the end of their season “probably went out the window” after the loss to the Thunder on April 2, in which star guards Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves both suffered regular season-ending injuries.
But their 101-73 win over the Suns at Crypto.com Arena not only secured homecourt advantage for the Lakers in their first-round playoff series, but also maintained the possibility of them achieving their ultimate goal of being the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference.
LeBron James once again led the Lakers, this time with 28 points, 12 assists, 6 rebounds and 4 steals in 32 minutes.
LeBron James once again led the Lakers, this time with 28 points, 12 assists, 6 rebounds and 4 steals in 32 minutes. NBAE via Getty Images
James has 28 points (60% shooting, 46.2% on 3-pointers), 12.7 assists, 7.7 rebounds and 2.3 steals in the three games he’s played since the injuries to Doncic and Reaves.
“I had to tap back into a role that I’ve been accustomed to in the past, but obviously it wasn’t what it was this year,” James said. “But circumstances have put me back in there and I’m just trying to feed off my teammates, teammates are feeding off of me and just trying to make things happen for us to continue to stay afloat.”
Luke Kennard added 19 points and 3 assists, while Rui Hachimura had 13 points and Deandre Ayton finished with 10 points and 5 rebounds.
Marcus Smart had 6 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds and 2 steals in his first game since March 21.
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The Lakers, who improved to a 52-29 record, can’t finish worse than No. 4 in the West after Friday’s win and the loss from the Rockets (51-30) to the Timberwolves on Friday.
The Rockets’ loss locked them in as the fifth seed.
If the Nuggets (53-28) beat the Spurs on Sunday, they would secure the No. 3 seed. If the Nuggets lose and the Lakers beat the Jazz on Sunday, the Lakers would finish as the third seed.
The Lakers will either host the No. 6 Timberwolves or No. 5 Rockets.
Luke Kennard added 19 points and 3 assists, while Rui Hachimura had 13 points and Deandre Ayton finished with 10 points and 5 rebounds. AP
Turning point
When Marcus Smart, who played in his first game after three-week absence because of a right ankle contusion, made a pair of floaters to put the Lakers up 73-58 midday through the third quarter.
MVP: LeBron James
The 41-year-old star wasn’t kidding when he was caught on camera in Dallas telling fans at American Airlines Center that he can “still do this s–t” last weekend.
James recorded his third straight points-assists double-double since the injuries to Doncic and Reaves.
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SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 10: Devin Carter #22 of the Sacramento Kings dribbles up court past Gary Payton II #0 of the Golden State Warriors in the second half at Golden 1 Center on April 10, 2026 in Sacramento, 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. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Golden State Warriors played their penultimate game of the season on Friday night, and it both went according to plan and not very well at all. In a self-professed dress rehearsal for next week’s play-in tournament, the Warriors prepped themselves for higher-leverage games … but still lost to the lowly Sacramento Kings 124-118.
For the first time since returning from injury, Steph Curry started the game, and that seemed to portend good things. Curry made a three on the very first possession of the game, and Kristaps Porziņģis made one two possessions later, giving the Dubs a 6-0 lead less than a minute into the game. But after that hot start, the Warriors started to show some rust, which was understandable given that the unfamiliarity of the lineup.
Bad turned to worse when, trailing 12-9, Curry hunched over in pain and walked very gingerly, prompting a Steve Kerr timeout. But thankfully it appeared to just be a knocked knee, as Curry stayed in the game after the timeout, and everyone exhaled.
It felt like the Warriors were playing fairly well for a while, and they certainly had all sorts of energy, yet the Kings somehow just kept scoring and kept scoring, and kept scoring, with old foe Malik Monk catching fire. Curry played most of the first quarter — a clear tune-up for the postseason — but, following a quarter-ending three by Dylan Cardwell, the Kings still led 32-27 after the first frame.
The Warriors came out of the second-quarter gates with a very eager defense, but the Kings were committed to defending Curry, and they were doing a very good job of it. The game was getting a little ugly, until Sacramento broke out with some rhythm.
While the Kings are not a good shooting team, and were missing the bulk of their best players, they couldn’t miss for a while in the second quarter. Rhythm begat more rhythm, as the Kings shooters just seemed completely in sync (Devin Carter, for instance, shot 6-for-11, despite shooting 24.0% on threes this year, and 26.1% in his career). Sacramento pushed the lead and pushed the lead and pushed the lead, until suddenly it was a 15-point game.
De’Anthony Melton was having a fine time scoring for the Warriors, with 13 in the frame. But no one else could find rhythm, separation, or the bottom of the bucket (his teammates combined for just 11 points in the quarter). At halftime, the Kings — who are 29th in the NBA in three-point percentage, and 30th in threes made per game — had shot 10-for-19 from distance, and held a 63-51 lead.
But if the Warriors have something to hang their hat on from the loss — and if you want something to give you a little confidence heading into game No. 83 — it came in the third quarter, which seemed to be when the Warriors most pretended like the outcome of this game mattered. And while it was ultimately a meaningless game for both teams, the quarter was one of the most entertaining ones that the Dubs have had this year.
It was ugly, but in a fun way. Carter committed a flagrant foul on Draymond Green just 85 seconds into the half, which resulted in a five-point possession for the Dubs, as Green sank both free throws, and Brandin Podziemski followed it up with a three-point play. That was part of a 12-0 Warriors run following a Sacramento bucket on the opening possession, and during the run we were treated to the veteran Green getting into it with Kings rookie Maxime Raynaud.
Things were heating up, and it was a lot of fun to watch. It settled into a back-and-forth affair for the middle portion of the quarter, and the execution was a lot of fun to watch. Eventually it turned into a slugfest, and not just in the trading buckets way, but in the physical sense of the word. Extra hard screens were being set, with elbows and shoulders being thrown into players. Fouls had a little something extra on them. Gary Payton II picked up a technical. The Warriors tied it and the Kings went on a 6-0 run, then the Warriors responded with a 7-0 run, which included Curry drawing a technical for celebrating from the sideline after Al Horford drained a three.
The whole team was playing with energy and aggression, but perhaps no one more so than Podziemski, who was in full-on attack mode. Suddenly everything was going the Warriors way, and they employed an ultra-scrappy closing lineup — Podziemski, Pat Spencer, Gui Santos, Malevy Leons, and Charles Bassey — which gave them an 89-82 lead after the third quarter.
Steve Kerr opted for a double-big lineup to start the fourth, with Horford and Porziņģis sharing the court with Curry in one final blast of tuning up. It worked well, as the Warriors pushed the lead to 11 points.
But then they got sloppy. It felt like the Warriors had accomplished what they set out to accomplish, and ran out of interest. Suddenly they were turning the ball over and taking bad shots, as the Kings scored eight straight points to cut the lead to three. Carter was killing them from beyond the arc as the Kings tied the game with seven minutes remaining … and then took the lead when Payton picked up a second technical foul (and subsequent ejection).
The Warriors trailed by six points just past the halfway mark, and with the outcome not mattering, Kerr let the subs run out the contest. They kept it close, but never close enough to take the lead, en route to a 124-118 defeat.
Podziemski was magnificent, and led the Warriors with 30 points on 9-for-15 shooting, while earning 10 free throws. Melton had 17 off the bench, while Curry (11), Porziņģis (11), Payton (10), and Horford (10) also scored in double figures. Curry wasn’t at his best, but it really did feel like he was just going through the warmups.
The Kings, meanwhile, had four different players hit the 20-point mark: Carter led the way with 29, followed by Raynaud with 23. Daeqwon Plowden and Nique Clifford each had 20. Carter, Raynaud, and Plowed each grabbed nine rebounds as well, as the Kings out-boarded the Dubs 58-43 … both a sign of their advantage inside, and the fact that Golden State missed more shots.
Perhaps the most notable thing to come from the night was the Portland Trail Blazers beating the LA Clippers. That means that the most likely scenario is that the Warriors face the Clippers in the first round of the play-in tournament.
And speaking of the Clippers, that’s also who the Dubs play in their season finale on Sunday, at 5:30 p.m. PT in Inglewood. We’ll see if the Warriors try to tune things up further in that game, or if they rest their key players so as not to give Ty Lue any additional intel.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - APRIL 9: Chelby Coley of Atlanta takes a photo of the new Texas Rangers City Connect jersey at Globe Life Field's Grand Slam Team Store in Arlington, TX, Thursday, April 9, 2026. (Juan Figueroa/The Dallas Morning News via Getty Images)
The Texas Rangers scored seven runs but the Los Angeles Dodgers scored eight runs.
The Rangers held leads of 3-1 and 4-2 in this game thanks to homers from Corey Seager (three-run blast in the 3rd) and Wyatt Langford (solo shot in the 5th, his first of the year) off LA co-co-co-co-co-co-co-co-co-ace Tyler Glasnow, but the Dodgers have inevitability on their side even though the Rangers made them work for it.
Despite a serviceable start from Kumar Rocker (5 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 5 K in 83 pitches), where he left with a 4-3 lead after five innings, Robert Garcia — demoted from the late innings — arrived once more to sully a game.
After Rocker had wiggled out of a jam to keep Texas ahead an inning prior, left-hander Garcia immediately walked left-handed batter Freddie Freeman and then allowed hits to three of the next four batters as Los Angeles scored two runs in the 6th to pull ahead.
The Texas bats needed to produce against a well-stocked Dodgers bullpen and didn’t get much done until Evan Carter hit a two-run home run off Los Angeles closer Edwin Diaz in the 9th for his first of the year. Unfortunately for Texas, red-hot Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages had already added insurance with a two-run home run off Luis Curvelo in the bottom of the 8th. Those runs proved to be quite critical.
Following Carter, the Rangers continued to rally against Diaz and eventually Ezequiel Duran tied the game with a two-out single that scored pitch runner Sam Haggerty. Duran was only even in the game because Langford left with a tight quad that he tweaked running hard initially before his homer cleared the fence.
With the game tied, Jacob Latz was called on for the bottom of the 9th and quickly got two quick outs before Max Muncy ended the game with his third home run of the game. Just like that Latz has an ERA and the Rangers have a loss to begin their first lengthy West Coast road trip of the season.
Player of the Game: Well, kind of obviously Muncy, yeah?
Up Next: The Rangers will get another crack at quieting the Dodgers with RHP Jack Leiter expected to pitch for Texas against RHP Emmet Sheehan for Los Angeles.
The Saturday evening first pitch from Dodgers Stadium is scheduled for 8:10 pm CDT and will be carried on the Rangers Sports Network.
Burrage and Dart overcome Hunter and Perez 6-3, 6-4
Australia to miss BJK Cup finals for second straight year
Australian team captain Sam Stosur’s fears of a “funky” upset have been realised as an understrength Great Britain sent Australia crashing out of Billie Jean King Cup contention.
After the visitors claimed both opening-day singles matches at Melbourne’s John Cain Arena, new British doubles pairing Jodie Burrage and Harriet Dart completed a 3-0 rout in the best-of-five qualifying tie on Saturday. Their 6-3, 6-4 win over Storm Hunter and Ellen Perez gave Great Britain an unassailable lead, sending last year’s semi-finalists into to September’s finals in China. It is the second straight year Australia have missed the eight-nation finals.
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 10: Dillon Brooks #3 of the Phoenix Suns dribbles the ball during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on April 10, 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 Phoenix Suns played their fifth game against the Lakers this season on Friday night, and it wasn’t much of a contest. Sure, the Suns were down 57-48 at the half, but the youth movement received its chance in the second half, and it wasn’t pretty. The team scored a grand total of 25 points in the second half.
You tip your hat to LeBron James. He played 32 minutes and went 10-of-16 from the field, including 2-of-2 from beyond the arc. He finished with 28 points and 12 assists, added six rebounds and four steals, and posted a +27 on the night. In a game the Lakers needed to help secure the fourth seed in the Western Conference, he delivered.
On the other side, the Suns leaned into youth and opportunity, and the returns were not great. Dillon Brooks led the team with 12 points on 5-of-14 shooting. Royce O’Neale added 11. Some of the numbers were rough. Ryan Dunn played 28 minutes and was a -39. Jamaree Bouyea logged 27 minutes, went 1-of-7 from the field, and finished at -33.
The loss does not impact the standings for Phoenix, but Portland’s win over the Clippers moves them into the eighth seed, which would line them up as the Suns’ Play-In opponent on Tuesday if things hold through Sunday. The Suns now sit at 44–37 on the season.
Game Flow
First Half
The Suns opened with a lineup of Collin Gillespie, Grayson Allen, Ryan Dunn, Dillon Brooks, and Mark Williams, with Devin Booker and Jalen Green both out as they get rest before the postseason. It was the man in his 23rd season at 41 years old who set the tone early for the Lakers. LeBron James scored 9 of their first 13 points as Los Angeles jumped out to an early first quarter lead.
Phoenix found some life on the glass. 9 of their first 14 points came off second-chance opportunities, turning four offensive rebounds into valuable buckets.
With 6:15 left in the first, Dillon Brooks picked up his second foul of the quarter on a Luke Kennard three-point attempt. Kennard hit the shot, and the play went under review for a reckless closeout. It was ruled a common foul, but Kennard still knocked down the free throw to complete the four-point play and push the Lakers ahead 21 to 14.
He stayed in the game, and the first players into the rotation were Jamaree Bouyea and Royce O’Neale, who checked in for Collin Gillespie and Grayson Allen. Brooks came out on the next Lakers possession after picking up his third foul, and Rasheer Fleming entered as a result.
The Suns soon found themselves down 15 in the first quarter, managing only 14 points of their own. It turned into a 13-0 run for the Lakers before rookie Rasheer Fleming stepped in and knocked down a three to stop the bleeding.
The offensive glass kept Phoenix afloat. They piled up 14 second-chance points on eight offensive rebounds, though that came with the reality that they were missing plenty of shots to create those opportunities. The Suns went 4-of-14 from beyond the arc in the first, while the Lakers caught fire, shooting 57.1% from the field.
After one, Los Angeles led 35-24.
The Lakers opened the second quarter a bit rusty, and the shots were not falling. The Suns kept chipping away, leaning on offensive rebounds and second-chance points to stay within reach.
With seven minutes left in the second, Phoenix had worked all the way back from a 16-point deficit to take a 36-35 lead after a three from Royce O’Neale. It was his second make from deep, and he sat at 4-of-8 from the field at that point.
Around that midpoint of the quarter, Dillon Brooks returned with three fouls to his name. He wasted little time, knocking down his first jumper after checking back in. And his offense kept rolling. Unfortunately, as the comeback was occurring, Grayson Allen left the bench for the locker room.
With 4:17 left in the second, Brooks picked up his fourth personal foul. Head coach Jordan Ott kept him on the floor. On the very next possession, the Suns were whistled for another foul, their 10th of the game. It went to Amir Coffey, who then picked up a technical after reacting to what felt like a ticky-tack call.
Old man LeBron helped close the quarter for the Lakers. He had eight in the second on 4-of-6 shooting and finished the half with 22. Luke Kennard added some support with 17 of his own.
For the Suns, Dillon Brooks and Royce O’Neale each had 10 points, and Oso Ighodaro pulled down seven rebounds off the bench. Phoenix controlled the glass, leading the rebounding battle 28-13, and they dominated second-chance points 21-6. The problem was everything else. The Suns turned it over 10 times, while the Lakers had only two. Both teams scored 24 in the second, and at the half, Los Angeles led 57-48.
Second Half
The third quarter opened, and a little over a minute in, Jordan Ott used his first challenge. It was successful, overturning an out-of-bounds call. The Suns turned the ball over on the inbounds as a result. Sigh.
It was still a choppy start for the Suns. Shots were not falling, and the rhythm was not there. They were putting pressure on the Lakers and getting to the free throw line, but those trips only went so far. Before long, they were back down 15 as the Lakers opened on a 10-4 run through the first 6 minutes of the quarter.
Bouyea and Dunn were out there, but the offense felt passive. Too much dribbling into defenders, then looking for outlets. The flow was not sharp, and it showed.
Dunn and Bouyea should be less passive. This is a "fuck it" game. So, fuck it. Shoot the ball
The scoring drought stretched nearly seven minutes into the third quarter, with the Suns unable to hit a field goal. They finally broke through on an Amir Coffey layup with 4:30 left in the period. At that point, it was only their seventh point of the quarter and their second made field goal. They sat at 2-of-8 from the field and 0-of-4 from beyond the arc.
This was the quarter where it started to slip away from the Suns. Young players were on the floor, and the confidence was not there. Rasheer Fleming backed down a defender, had a chance to go up and score with his physicality, but kicked it out instead. It turned into a fast break the other way for the Lakers. That theme kept showing up. The young guys were looking to pass instead of looking to score, and it allowed Los Angeles to stretch the lead.
The third quarter belonged to the Lakers, who outscored the Suns 24-16. Giving up 24 is manageable, but the offense for Phoenix went quiet. They shot 4-of-14 from the field and 1-of-8 from beyond the arc. The turnovers kept piling up as well, eight in the quarter, leading to nine points for the Lakers. Los Angeles also found success in the paint, scoring 18 of their 24 points inside.
After three, the Lakers led 81-64.
There was not much to take away from the Suns in the fourth quarter as the offense completely stalled. No one could generate anything, and the youth movement looked rough on that end. There was little structure, a lot of one and done possessions, and Koby Brea firing from deep without much success.
The numbers tell the story. The Suns scored nine points in the quarter, shooting 4-of-21 from the field and 1-of-12 from beyond the arc.
Up Next
One more for the books, my friends. The Suns play the Thunder in the regular season finale on Sunday. We’ll see you then, Bright Side.
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 10: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles the ball during the game against the Phoenix Suns on April 10, 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 Lakers took down the Suns 101-73 on Friday night. They clinched home court in the first round of the playoffs thanks to the Rockets losing to the Wolves.
Rui Hachimura started things off for LA with an impressive reverse layup. LeBron James was cooking early for Los Angeles with three 3-pointers and three free throws after he was fouled from behind the arc. He was up to nine points. Mark Williams was leading Phoenix with four points.
At the 7:13 mark, the Lakers were up by three.
Dillon Brooks got into early foul trouble with three. LeBron continued his aggressive play, pushing his point total to 14, and he had three assists, putting him in the 12,000-career-assists club. Luke Kennard connected with LeBron for an emphatic dunk that rocked the rim.
The Suns gained some life with two consecutive 3-pointers. Kennard responded with a 3-pointer for Los Angeles. At the end of the first, the purple and gold were up by 10.
The Lakers lead the Suns 33-23 after one quarter. LeBron James has 14 points and five assists and is a team-high +16 in his nine minutes of play.
Royce O’Neale opened up the second period with a layup. The Lakers lost the high energy they had in the first quarter, allowing Phoenix to cut LA’s lead to four. Grayson Allen was now leading the Suns with eight points.
Phoenix was beating Los Angeles on the offensive boards 11 to one.
Phoenix has used the offensive glass to get back into the game, with an 11-1 margin, helping them turn a 16-point deficit into a lead before two Marcus Smart FT's made it 39-38 LA.
O’Neale scored a quick four points that put the Suns up by one. Kennard stopped some of the bleeding with a midrange jumper. The Lakers picked up their energy, and their offense clicked again, leading to a 9-2 scoring run.
At the four-minute mark, LA was up by six.
Dillon Brooks and O’Neale had a combined 20 points for the Suns. Brooks was up to four fouls. Los Angeles ended the half strong, thanks to six points from LeBron. He had 22 points in the half. At halftime, LA was up by nine.
Jamaree Bouyea started the third period with a layup for Phoenix. Deandre Ayton responded on the other end with a dunk. Phoenix announced that Allen, who went to the locker room in the first half, was ruled out for the rest of the game with a left hamstring injury.
Both teams went on three-minute scoring droughts, but Hachimura ended LA’s with a 3-pointer.
O’Neale converted on a free throw to give the Suns a point, but their scoring drought had hit six minutes. Amir Coffey stopped what ended up being a seven-minute scoring drought for Phoenix with a layup.
A dunk by Oso Ighodaro forced a timeout by Los Angeles as their lead was now 11. Out of the break, Maxi Kleber was fouled and missed both free throws. On the other end, the Suns missed their shot attempt.
Marcus Smart then scored four in a row. LeBron turned his jets on once more to give the Lakers their biggest lead of the night.
Marcus Smart with back-to-back baskets. He's also had a steal and a rebound sandwiched in between these offensive plays. The Lakers really missed him.
The final frame began with a dunk by Jarred Vanderbilt on an assist from LeBron. James also assisted on a baseline cutting dunk by Kleber. At the 6:19 mark, LeBron was subbed out, and the rest of the game was garbage time as Los Angeles cruised to victory.
Key Player Stats
LeBron finished with 28 points, six rebounds, 12 assists and four steals. Kennard ended with 19 points, three assists and three steals. Hachimura pitched in with 13 points, two rebounds and three assists.
Ayton had 10 points with five rebounds. Smart notched six points with five rebounds, seven assists and two steals. Vanderbilt logged six points with seven rebounds.
The Lakers’ last game of the season will be Sunday against the Utah Jazz at 5:30 PM PT.
Apr 10, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners left fielder Randy Arozarena (56) evades a tag by Houston Astros second baseman Isaac Paredes (15) during the first inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
