The Philadelphia Flyers picked up a massive 2-1 overtime win against the Boston Bruins on Sunday. With it, the Flyers have improved to a 39-26-12 record and have moved up to third place in the Metropolitan Division standings.
Flyers' top prospect Porter Martone was the hero for Philadelphia against Boston, as he scored the overtime winner on the power play. He also recorded the primary assist on Christian Dvorak's game-opening goal with a great between-the-legs backhand pass.
With this fantastic performance for the Flyers, Martone now has one goal and three points in four games for the Metropolitan Division club. The 6-foot-3 forward is already showing that he can make an impact at the NHL level, and it is undoubtedly good news as the Flyers look to make the playoffs.
There is no question that Martone has a ton of potential, and it is why the Flyers selected him with the sixth-overall pick of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. He is certainly demonstrating plenty of promise early on in his NHL career, and it will be intriguing to see how he builds on it from here.
PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 07: Egor Chinakhov #59 of the Pittsburgh Penguins carries the puck against Rasmus Ristolainen #55 of the Philadelphia Flyers t PPG PAINTS Arena on March 7, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
A most unexpected and interesting development has happened in the Eastern Conference to shake up the playoff picture. Some of the strongest teams this season have started to falter. The Islanders have had a 3-7-0 record from March 19th, which cost Patrick Roy his job as head coach after NYI fell completely out of the playoff picture. The Blue Jackets did their part to hold the door open for others to catch up, posting a 1-6-1 record since March 22nd.
The Washington Capitals were looking like they could be that surprise team, especially after this past Tuesday when the Caps defeated the Flyers 6-4 to mark their third straight win and put themselves in a surprisingly strong position to make a late run at things. That run stopped rather suddenly with losses to New Jersey (7-3) on Thursday and then last night to the Rangers with an 8-1 score that punts on the season.
That left an unlikely team to walk through the door opened up by the Islanders and Blue Jackets faltering. And it was those Flyers who have done just that. Despite the loss to Washington on Tuesday, Philadelphia was 8-1-1 in their previous 10 games before that, quietly sneaking back into the picture as the trouble started on Long Island and in Columbus. That strong March gave Philadelphia the juice to pop up and defeat NYI on Friday night to create a big change in the standings. The Flyers would follow it up with a 2-1 OT win against Boston that featured Porter Martone’s first career goal as the game winner.
Suddenly, the battle of Pennsylvania could add another chapter in the 2026 playoffs.
There is now a 52% chance that the first round of these Stanley Cup Playoffs features the battle of Pennsylvania. pic.twitter.com/Hf4k4vxidq
The stunning turnaround of the Flyers could be represented from the Hockeystats.com model where Philadelphia had 32% odds of making the playoffs after their loss to Washington on Tuesday. Just a few days and two games later, it now sits at 60%. The Islanders are in big trouble after regulation losses last week to Pittsburgh and the Flyers. The Detroit Red Wings keep slip sliding away from a playoff berth too with Ottawa coming on in the Atlantic and Wild Card race.
The last week shows, to an extreme, just how much fortunes can rise and fall at the end of the season. It’s hard to imagine that just one week ago today entering Monday’s game, the Islanders (89) had more points than the Penguins (88), though NYI did play one more game. Fast forward just a few days and the Islanders still have 89 points — and now a new coach after a disastrous spell that saw losses to Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Philadelphia and Carolina that still leave them with 89 points entering this week.
The Penguins, on the other hand, have all but sewed up their spot in the 2026 playoffs courtesy of picking up eight points in the last five games with the win over NYI, Detroit and a pair of lopsided victories over Florida.
Will the next week hold as much drama? NYI doesn’t play again until Thursday, they’ll have home games against Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal in the next week. The hiring of Peter Deboer could shake things up and try to get them out of their funk to make a desperate five-game run at Philadelphia. For their part, the Flyers play road games this week starting at New Jersey on Tuesday and then go to Detroit on Thursday and Winnipeg on Saturday. If the Flyers can grab two wins out of those games then the pressure for NYI to basically win out will be in play, given that Philadelphia is a point ahead and gets their game in hand on Tuesday to push their margin out even further.
The other team in the mix, Columbus, needs to start winning. They play Tuesday in Detroit, then Thursday in Buffalo and Saturday in Montreal. They sit two points behind Philadelphia, though CBJ should have the first tiebreaker by virtue of a 27-24 regulation win advantage. The Blue Jackets need some help from the Devils and Red Wings to stop Philadelphia, after CBJ plays a near must-win game against Detroit tomorrow night.
For the Pens, the last week couldn’t have gone any better. The teams in best position to challenge them for the second spot (NYI, CBJ) have continued to fall apart late in the season. Pittsburgh is six points up on Philadelphia, with the Flyers having played one less game, leaving the Pens in an excellent spot with five games remaining to chug along towards locking up home ice advantage for the first round.
The season may yet have more twists and turns to see between Philadelphia, NYI and Columbus will grab third place in the division even though recent momentum is surging towards seeing the first Penguins/Flyers playoff series since 2018.
The Knicks have been swimming upstream for almost two years.
They have won 50 games the last two seasons and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals last season, despite trotting out a starting lineup that has produced diminishing returns.
The unit, which features Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, and Karl-Anthony Towns, has been middling at best. The five-man group is outscoring opponents by just 0.7 points per 100 possession this season.
At this point, we’ve seen enough. The starting unit has played 494 minutes together this season, the third-highest in the NBA. Last season, it was the most used five-man lineup in the NBA, hitting the court for 960 minutes.
Initially, the starting five looked elite. Through the first three months of the 2024-25 season, the combination was outscoring teams by 6.6 points per 100 possessions in 561 minutes. But those numbers dropped by the end of the season. The playoffs saw the group reach its nadir. The starters were outscored by 6.2 points per 100 possessions in 335 minutes together.
Former Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau opted to change the starting lineup during the middle of the Eastern Conference Finals last season, inserting center Mitchell Robinson for Hart after Game 2. New York began this season with Robinson in the starting lineup, but went back to Hart quickly.
Thibodeau’s replacement Mike Brown went to Robinson as a starter initially before going back to Hart after an injury to Anunoby in November. New York has gone back to the original five-man unit ever since.
San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) controls the ball against New York Knicks guard Mikal Bridges (25) and center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden / Brad Penner - Imagn Images
Slow starts
There are several factors contributing to why the lineup hasn’t thrived. Opponents discovered that they can put a wing on Towns while having their center guard Hart. It has mucked up the paint, and disrupted New York’s offensive flow.
Hart is having a career year from three, making 40.9 percent of his attempts. But he can still be a reluctant shooter. Opponents are willing to live with him launching from deep rather than letting Brunson or Towns go one-on-one in the paint. Bridges has also been in a slump recently, creating even more issues.
New York’s defense has been better recently. But over the two seasons, there have been some spells of inconsistency. The starting lineup has also been a mess in the first quarter, which has contributed to the team’s recent trend of slow starts.
The Knicks fell behind, 14-1, in the first few minutes of their 111-94 loss to the Houston Rockets last week.
New York’s starting five has a negative 8.1 net rating in the opening quarter. In the other three quarters, the Knicks are much better. They are a plus-9.8 points per 100 possessions in the fourth quarter.
Options for a change
The Knicks have a few options as replacements. The club can use guards Miles McBride or Landry Shamet. They can go big with Robinson, too.
We haven’t seen much of Robinson as a starter with Towns since the first month of the season, since Robinson hasn’t played back-to-back games this season. In 51 minutes with Robinson in place of Hart, the Knicks have a plus-12.4 points per 100 possessions.
All of these previously mentioned lineups have played so little together that it’s hard to know which ones would actually work.
All of the results of the past two years have shown that this Knicks starting lineup is unlikely to have a turnaround. But there are just four games left in the regular season. With a team gearing up for the playoffs, it sounds unrealistic to make a change this late.
It seems as if Brown will be following a similar path as his predecessor. The most likely scenario will be a starting lineup alteration as a response to falling behind in a playoff series, which could be an impediment to New York’s playoff hopes.
Ahead of the 2026 NHL trade deadline, the Pittsburgh Penguins acquired forward Elmer Soderblom from the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick. With the Penguins needing more forward depth, it was understandable that they brought him in.
Soderblom was having a quiet season with the Red Wings before the trade, as he had just two goals and one assist in 39 games. However, getting a fresh start with the Penguins has undoubtedly been benefiting Soderblom, as he has been off to a strong start in Pittsburgh.
In 16 games with the Penguins since being acquired from Detroit, he has recorded four goals, four assists, eight points, and 28 hits. With this, the big forward has not only been providing the Penguins with more physicality but also some solid secondary offensive production.
Soderblom has also been red-hot for the Penguins as of late, as he has three goals and six points over his last six games alone.
With Soderblom already taking his game to a new level with the Penguins and still being just 24 years old, it is hard not to like this move early on for Pittsburgh. The 6-foot-8 forward has been a very good addition to the Penguins' roster, and it will be fascinating to see how he builds on his strong start with the Metropolitan Division club from here.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - APRIL 05: Ryan Rollins #13 of the Milwaukee Bucks scores on a jump shot over the reach of Walter Clayton Jr. #4 of the Memphis Grizzlies during the first half of the game at Fiserv Forum on April 05, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 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 John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It got interesting at times, but the Milwaukee Bucks mostly dominated the tanktastic Memphis Grizzlies, 131-115. As Deolu put it in his rapid recap, this was the Bucks’ their first win against Memphis since January 2022, which is crazy to think about. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast, Bucks In Six Minutes, below.
Made some nice reads out of the short roll in the first quarter, and shot efficiently on extremely low volume, but the turnovers were still too high. Also got out-rebounded by smaller players on a few occasions.
Rain, hail, or shine, TP remains one heck of a shooter. I mean, some of these three-point attempts were not easy, and he just nails them. Given his skill set, I think this might have been his best game of the year.
Rollins was clinical, getting to his spots, working in the pick-and-roll, and taking what the defence gave him. He also had some ridiculous ambidextrous finishes around the rim. Can’t say enough about his development this year.
Finished around the rim decently (as he should, considering he was the biggest and tallest player out there by some margin). Also got four O-boards because of that height, along with four stocks. Great production on those fronts. Still, got exposed a few times moving his feet on the perimeter against fringe NBA players.
Not the best game from Ous, who failed to make much of an impact. He certainly had moments of brilliance—such as his full-court outlet pass to Cormac Ryan—but failed to put it together from a scoring standpoint. You want to see him succeed with the ball in his hands to be a long-term player for this team.
Sims mostly did his job by playing off others, but he showed signs of savviness we hadn’t seen earlier this season. For example, he had a play where he faked the DHO and kept it, leading to the massive slam. Great to see that development.
Another great game from Cormac, who just keeps showing out. He made threes from both a standing start and on the move, but also did great work inside the arc; he spun for a dipsy-doo fadeaway, and also cut backdoor for the reverse layup. Also showed his stuff as an instinctual defender, racking up five steals.
Grade: A+
Doc Rivers
Thought Doc did a solid job coaching. I’ll echo Finn’s sentiment about Rivers getting the team to “play the right way,” which has been evident over the past two weeks, and honestly, really refreshing. No agendas, just a bunch of dudes playing for each other. Now, the opponent was tanking to a significant degree, but all Doc could do was put guys in position to succeed and get them to play in the way that best helped the team, and I thought he did. The Bucks won a game they should have won, and Doc played a key role.
Grade: B+
Garbage Time: Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Alex Antetokounmpo
Inactive: Kevin Porter Jr., Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis, Gary Trent Jr.
Bonus Bucks Bits
Doc said that although the team is out of playoff contention, these games are meaningful for a lot of guys.
On Cormac: “Great cutter, great IQ, better with the ball than we thought… and his hands have been everywhere. Very impressed with him.”
Rivers highlighted how Ryan Rollins is doing his work “in the game flow” and not forcing anything.
Ousmane Dieng, Rayan Rupert, and Adama Bal all grew up together in France and shared an NBA court in this one. Pretty cool moment.
Up Next
The Bucks are back in action on Tuesday night against yet another tanktastic team, the Brooklyn Nets. Catch the game at 6:30 p.m. CDT on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MARCH 25: Donte DiVincenzo #0 & Julius Randle #30 of the Minnesota Timberwolves looks on during the game against the Houston Rockets on March 25, 2026 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 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 David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
This is the second part of a two-part season recap series. Read part one here.
With their season-long five-game losing streak in the rearview, the Minnesota looked to transform their team at the trade deadline. The Wolves did just that with a series of moves that traded away Mike Conley, Rob Dillingham, and Leonard Miller, while getting back Ayo Dosunmu and Julian Phillips. They also re-signed Conley following his buyout with the Charlotte Hornets and reunited with Kyle Anderson, who was let go from the Memphis Grizzlies.
The roster shakeup breathed new life into a roster that had seemingly grown stale over the past few months and gave them desperately needed bench depth to use for both the stretch run of the regular season and the Playoffs.
Here are the top Post-All-Star break moments of the Timberwolves 2025-26 season.
The Vibes Were High Against the Raptors
The season of high-highs and low-lows continued into February for the Timberwolves. Following a 115-96 drubbing at the hands of the Los Angeles Clippers, the Wolves started to put things together.
They won their final two games before the All-Star break, swept a three-game road trip where they beat the Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Clippers, and Denver Nuggets, before capping off a stretch of seven wins in eight games at home in a 115-107 win over the Toronto Raptors.
The game was a professional victory for the Timberwolves. The game was tight the entire first half before the Wolves put their foot on the gas in the third quarter to take a double-digit lead. The ball movement was on point the entire game, and the defense was able to shut down the Raptors with Rudy Gobert dominating the paint, while also leading the team with five assists.
Rudy Gobert offensive rebound + nasty crossover + kickout pass to Naz Reid for 3, Wolves bench loves it pic.twitter.com/E06IMZ1OVp
The vibes around the team seemed to be in as good a place as they had been in years. The trade deadline had passed, Ayo Dosunmu and Bones Hyland had transformed the Wolves bench into a quality unit, and the Wolves were up to third in the Western Conference standings for the first time since the 2003-04 season.
Like many times earlier in the season, it felt like the Wolves were finally putting everything together. Despite numerous stumbles throughout the season, the Timberwolves seemed primed to go on an extended winning streak. Instead, the opposite happened.
Rock Bottom in Los Angeles
The win against the Raptors, like many other wins before it, was not the spark that would propel the Timberwolves toward regular-season consistency. Rather, the Wolves lost three straight games by a combined 66 points.
The losing streak was rock bottom for the Timberwolves. It wasn’t just that they lost three games, all of which to above .500 teams; it was the way they lost them.
In the first two games, the Wolves’ offense completely disappeared. The ball movement had completely deserted them as Edwards, Julius Randle, and others over-dribbled the ball on countless possessions. The Lakers specifically baited Edwards into terrible shots, successfully shutting him down and the rest of the Timberwolves. Hitting a rough patch on one side of the ball for a couple of games would be one thing. The Wolves could pinpoint specific issues that needed to be solved and fix them.
While the Wolves did get their offense going the next night against the Clippers, their defense fell off a cliff.
Scoring just 92 points one game, only to give up 153 points just two games later, spoke to larger issues going on with the team beyond anything strategic or talent-based. It showcased a potential fatal flaw of a team unwilling or unable to provide a consistent performance night-to-night.
A Record-Setting Overtime Comeback
The most insane game of the season, and in recent memory at Target Center, came a week ago against the Houston Rockets. With Edwards and Dosunmu both out, the Timberwolves grabbed a 110-108 overtime victory in a game that won’t soon be forgotten.
The Wolves controlled the lead for most of the game and eventually built up an 11-point lead with less than four minutes left in the game. Just when it felt like the Wolves were going to cruise to a really solid win, the game took a turn toward the absurd.
Following an Alperen Şengün layup and a Timberwolves shot clock violation, Julius Randle ran over Şengün, who was setting a screen, for a foul. The play was upgraded to a flagrant foul for Randle, with crew chief Scott Foster saying Randle unnecessarily “launched” into Şengün on the play.
“I’ve never seen it before,” Finch said about the flagrant call on Randle. “They’re telling me they had a clear opportunity to avoid the screen. They said he sought him out to run him over. I’ve never seen a flagrant like that. He goes through a screen, they call a foul, fine. That’s clearly a foul. Play on. But a flagrant? I don’t know.”
The Rockets hit both flagrant free throws, scored on their next possession, and continued scoring to go on a 13-0 run to take the lead. Randle gave the Wolves the lead back with a bully ball layup in the paint before a Gobert away-from-the-play foul gave Kevin Durant the game-tieing free throw as well as the ball back, while also fouling Gobert out of the game.
With a chance to win the game, the Rockets turned the ball over, giving the Wolves the chance to win it on a Randle layup that was blocked by Şengün.
The game was insane enough, but that was only the beginning. The Rockets opened up overtime to score the first 13 points of overtime, with Naz Reid getting ejected in the middle of the run following a foul call on him not overturned.
The craziness did not stop there as the Wolves responded with the next 15 points with DiVincenzo knocking down the game-tying 3-pointer and Randle capping off the run with a midrange jumper to give the Wolves the lead. After a foul and a pair of missed free throws from Durant (one of which was intentional), the Wolves secured a win in one of the most insane games of the season.
In the hallway to the Timberwolves locker room, Randle shared his displeasure with the lead official, yelling out, “That shit didn’t work Scott Foster.”
Wobvestigation: The NBA season’s historically crazy game between the Timberwolves and Rockets, where all roads led to Scott Foster. pic.twitter.com/Duj8NU7s0W
The Timberwolves’ winning after trailing by 13 points in overtime was the largest overtime comeback since the NBA began tracking play-by-play data in 1996-97, as the Wolves avenged their nine-point overtime collapse to the Nuggets on Christmas.
Kevin Garnett Returns
The most memorable part of the Timberwolves regular season. On Friday, the Wolves announced that Kevin Garnett would be making his long-awaited return to Target Center during the team’s regular season finale on April 12th against the New Orleans Pelicans.
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) April 3, 2026
The announcement comes a couple of months after Garnett agreed to return to the organization in an ambassador role with a jersey retirement ceremony set to take place during the 2026-27 season, with ceremony details set to be released on a later date.
While the game itself might end up being anticlimactic, as the Wolves could potentially be locked into their seed for the Playoffs, the night itself is set to be one of the most memorable and cathartic moments in the history of Minnesota basketball. It’s been an excruciatingly long wait for Timberwolves fans to see their franchise icon back with the organization and pumping up the Target Center crowd yet again.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 22: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs plays defense during the game against Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers on January 22, 2024 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 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 2024 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The regular season is winding down. After splitting a tough back-to-back vs. Minnesota and Detroit, they Sixers travel to San Antonio to kick off their final regular-season road trip — a three-game stretch away from home.
The Spurs are putting the cherry on top of a dominant season, with many considering them one of the two best teams not just in the West, but in the league period. A win tonight would be their 60th of the year, joining the Oklahoma City Thunder and possibly the Detroit Pistons as the only teams to accomplish that feat. Standings-wise, there isn’t much for them to play for here — they sit nine games above the contested three seed and three games behind the Thunder for the one seed. Barring some crazy circumstances, the Spurs are going to be the two seed out West. We’ll see how far they push their starters tonight if this game is close down the stretch.
Heading into this game, the Sixers are slated to take on the Spurs at seemingly full strength. The only listees on the injury report are G League assignments, meaning you can expect the Sixers to be on the wrong end of their gauntlet of Victor Wembanyama and a deep stable of guards.
These two teams faced off not too long ago, resulting in a blowout win for the Spurs in Philadelphia. However, the Sixers were without Paul George and Joel Embiid — both of whom should be available this time around. The Sixers struggled offensively with Wemby’s massive frame mucking up their paint-based offense, and the Spurs had no shortage of firepower either, with eight players scoring in double figures.
With the regular season in crunch time, it’s hard to keep up with all the games — especially in the cluster where the Sixers are packed in with five or six teams. Last night the Toronto Raptors lost to the Boston Celtics, putting the Sixers in the driver’s seat for the six seed due to tiebreakers once again. A win tonight would help solidify their standing, while a loss would make things interesting with the Raptors and Charlotte Hornets lurking close behind.
The good news is that, like the Spurs, the Sixers should be close to full strength as well. Both George and Embiid are not listed on the injury report heading in, and Tyrese Maxey has also been cleared. The lone listees are rookie Johni Broome and Cameron Payne, who is out with a hamstring strain and expected to be sidelined for a minimum of two weeks.
On paper, this will be a seriously tough game to win, and that’s only more true depending on how far the Spurs go to lock up a win. If the Sixers can manage the not impossible but very hard task, it’ll go a long way in the standings battle. After this, they’ll travel to Houston to play the Rockets on Thursday, then follow that up with two games against tanking opponents in the Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks. At worst, you’re probably looking at 2-1 for that stretch. Factoring in the schedule strength of the teams they’re jockeying with, a win tonight would seriously put pressure on them.
The Spurs have been an elite team all year, so this won’t be an easy game. Let’s see if their added reinforcements can shift the tide and the Sixers can make a big dent in their postseason seeding aspirations.
Game Details
When: Monday, April 6, 8:00 PM ET Where: Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, TX Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic Follow:@LibertyBallers
DALLAS, TX – APRIL 5: Deandre Ayton #5 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives to the basket during the game against the Dallas Mavericks on April 5, 2026 at American...
Deandre Ayton, you want to be a star?
You viewed joining the Lakers as a golden opportunity to resuscitate your career and rewrite your narrative?
Well, you’ve now become a central figure in the Lakers’ hopes of surviving the first round of the playoffs until Luka Doncic (Grade 2 hamstring strain) and Austin Reaves (Grade 2 oblique strain) return from their injuries.
And so far, not so good.
Ayton finished with 13 points and four rebounds in the Lakers’ 134-128 loss to the Mavericks on Sunday.
Five of his teammates outscored him. And four of them outrebounded him, including Luke Kennard, who had a team-high 16 rebounds. The 6-foot-5 Kennard had four-times as many rebounds as the 7-footer?
Come on.
Ayton has gone from being someone who can sway games from time to time, to someone whom the Lakers desperately need for 48 minutes.
Things have drastically changed for LA after they lost their top two scorers.
The 41-year-old James has gone from being the team’s third option to needing to play at a superstar level. Of course, he rose to the occasion, scoring 22 points in the first quarter, the most points he has scored in any quarter this season, en route to finishing with 30 points, a season-high 15 assists and 9 rebounds.
Ayton finished with 13 points and four rebounds in the Lakers’ 134-128 loss to the Mavericks on Sunday. Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Kennard had his first triple-double of his career with 15 points and 11 assists to accompany those 16 boards. Jaxson Hayes scored 23 points. Rui Hachimura had 21 points and 7 rebounds.
Ayton needs to take his game to another level, too.
Let’s not forget that Ayton is the former No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 draft. He was picked ahead of Doncic (No. 3) and reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (No. 11).
It’s clear he wants to be a star. Heck, he made waves in February by exclaiming in the locker room “I’m not no Clint Capela.” But the problem is he’s inconsistent.
Some nights he’s a ball of energy who uses force on both ends of the court to effortlessly produce double-doubles.
Other nights? He’s a liability.
Well, Ayton doesn’t have the luxury of being the latter right now.
On Sunday, Ayton shot well in the third quarter, scoring 10 points on 5-for-5 shooting, helping the Lakers cut their 22-point hole to two points in that period. But otherwise, he was quiet as a mouse.
On Sunday, he did that in spurts, which wasn’t enough against the Mavericks, who are in 13th place in the Western Conference with a record of 25-53.
So, imagine how that would fare against an elite team in the West in the first round of the playoffs?
NBAE via Getty Images
It’s no secret that Ayton’s effort wavers.
He’s mercurial. He has struggled with moments of immaturity. Sometimes he’s all in. Other times, he’s somewhere else even though he’s in the building.
Recently, Ayton has been trending in the right direction.
During the Lakers’ 16-2 run heading into Thursday’s disastrous game against the Thunder in which both Doncic and Reaves suffered injuries, Ayton was starring in his role.
“Felt like I picked up my energy and my focus,” Ayton said March 12. “And, you know, I finally caught up with the team. That’s about it.”
That’s great and all.
But really, that’s the bare minimum.
He needs to make another transition. The Lakers need him to be DominAyton.
If he could regularly produce 20-and-10 performances, the Lakers have a chance of treading water until they’re complete again. James needs help. Everyone needs to step up, especially a former No. 1 overall pick.
Ayton can’t take quarters off. He can’t be someone the Lakers hope shows up. He needs to be a force.
Over the last month, Ayton has been getting credit for putting in the requisite effort. That no longer moves the needle. He needs to dominate.
He doesn’t want to be compared to Clint Capela?
It’s now or never for him.
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Apr 5, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Leonard Miller (11) scores against the Phoenix Suns during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
There was one concern I had heading into Sunday against the Chicago Bulls, and it came straight from the last time these two teams met. You remember it. The Suns could not keep the ball in front, and it turned into a layup line. Guards getting downhill whenever they wanted, no resistance at the point of attack, and everything collapsing from there.
And on Sunday, it showed up again.
Tre Jones lived in the paint. Over and over, he blew by perimeter defenders, got to his spots, and finished clean. He ended with 29 points, 21 of them coming right at the rim. Collin Sexton was not nearly as aggressive this time, and if he had been, this could have looked very different. The Phoenix Suns got the win, but it did not erase the concern.
Because the issue is the same. Containment. Or lack of it.
Jordan Ott rolled with a nine-man rotation, and there was no Rasheer Fleming and no Ryan Dunn. Two players who at least give you a different look defensively. More length, more disruption, more potential resistance either at the point of attack or at the rim.
There was an adjustment early. Jordan Goodwin got the start over Collin Gillespie in an effort to slow things down. But Chicago countered. They screened him out of the action, forced switches, and suddenly it was Devin Booker and Jalen Green trying to contain downhill pressure. That is not a winning formula. Not against guards who are looking to attack every possession. Layer in transition defense, or the lack of it. Phoenix was outscored 28–6 in fast-break points. That is effort, awareness, urgency, all of it. And it turned what should have been manageable into something far more stressful than it needed to be.
They won. That part counts. But the concern does not go away. Because teams are showing you the blueprint. Get downhill, force rotations, live in the paint. And until the Suns prove they can consistently stop it, it is going to keep showing up.
The hope is that the adjustments come. The hope is that the staff sees it, addresses it, and finds a counter. Because if not, these final four games are going to feel the same way, and at some point, you drift into that territory where you mess around and find out.
Bright Side Baller Season Standings
Jalen Green was hyper-efficient against the Hornets, which was enough for him to earn Bright Side Baller #6 on the season.
Bright Side Baller Nominees
Game 78 against the Bulls. Here are your nominees:
DALLAS, TX - APRIL 4: Brent Burns #84 of the Colorado Avalanche skates against the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center on April 4, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Glenn James/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Colorado Avalanche News
Canucks rise up to stun the league-leading Avalanche. [Sportsnet]
Avs’ Nathan MacKinnon becomes first player this season to reach 50 goals. [TSN]
HALO conference in Denver showcases growth of analytics in hockey. [NHL]
The Calgary Flames were “humbled” in a 9-2 loss against the Colorado Avalanche. [Calgary Herald]
The Boston Bruins have not yet secured a spot in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and a lackluster weekend that included a regulation loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning and an overtime defeat to the Philadelphia Flyers didn’t do much to help their cause.
However, their chances of achieving that feat over the next week still remain pretty high.
HockeyStats’ model gives the Bruins a 98 percent chance of reaching the postseason. MoneyPuck’s model gives the Bruins a 98 percent chance, too.
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Four games remain on the Bruins’ regular season schedule, and none of them can be described as “easy”.
The Eastern Conference-leading Carolina Hurricanes host the B’s on Tuesday. The Bruins play the Tampa Bay Lightning at home Saturday, before finishing up against a desperate Columbus Blue Jackets on the road Sunday and then hosting the New Jersey Devils next Tuesday.
Here’s what the wild card standings look like. It’s still mathematically possible for the Bruins to finish as a top-three team in the Atlantic Division, but the chances of that scenario unfolding are extremely small.
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The B’s have a good cushion over the teams outside the wild card spots, and they hold the regulation wins tiebreaker over the Philadelphia Flyers, New York Islanders, Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets.
It would take a pretty significant collapse by the Bruins, plus other teams getting red hot, for Boston to miss the playoffs.
One thing that has helped the Bruins of late is the other teams around them haven’t played great over the last week or so. The Islanders have lost four straight games and fired head coach Patrick Roy on Sunday. The Red Wings have lost six of their last 10 games and the Blue Jackets are on a six-game losing streak.
The Bruins have lost three straight games, and a lackluster offense is largely to blame for those poor results. The No. 1 concern with the Bruins coming into the season was whether they could score enough goals to be competitive. But in a surprising twist, the offense has largely been a huge positive for this team all season, including the power play. The Bruins entered the Olympic break ranked sixth in goals scored per game and third in power-play percentage.
But since the Olympic break, the B’s rank 20th in goals scored per game and 26th in power-play percentage. This downturn offensively was expected to some degree. The B’s have ranked near the top of the league in goals scored above expected all season. Several players on the team have had career-high (or close to it) shooting percentages.
Morgan Geekie has scored a career-high 34 goals this season, which leads the team, but he hasn’t found the back of the net in 17 consecutive games. His last goal was March 5.
The analytics suggested the B’s would regress a bit offensively, and we might be seeing that unfold right now.
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This scoring regression might have come too late to derail the Bruins’ chances of reaching the playoffs, but it could hurt them significantly in the first round.
The most likely Round 1 matchup for the B’s is the Hurricanes, per HockeyStats.
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Carolina has allowed the fewest shot attempts, the fewest shots on goal, the third-fewest scoring chances and the 12th-fewest high-danger chances at 5-on-5 this season, per Natural Stat Trick. The Hurricanes are very structured defensively, they’re well coached and they’re disciplined (fewest penalties taken among East teams in a playoff spot).
Add it all up, and that’s a pretty unfavorable matchup for a team like the Bruins that’s really struggling to score.
Goaltending is often the deciding factor in the playoffs, and Bruins netminder Jeremy Swayman arguably has been the best player at his position this season. That gives the B’s a huge advantage over a lot of teams. But great goaltending only goes so far. You have to be able to score goals and take advantage of the opponent’s mistakes with a good power play.
That’s why the Bruins’ latest scoring woes are a concern. If it doesn’t get fixed, their playoff run (assuming they make it) could be pretty short.
The competition to nail down a playoff berth is intense, so much that two NHL teams have fired their coaches down the stretch.
Bruce Cassidy was the first to go, with the third-place Vegas Golden Knights replacing the 2023 Stanley Cup winner with John Tortorella on March 29 with eight games to go. That followed a 1-4-2 slide that since has been turned down around.
Then the New York Islanders made their bid for a coaching change bump on Sunday, April 5, with four games left. Patrick Roy is out and veteran Peter DeBoer is in following a four-game losing streak. The Islanders were in third place at the time of the announcement but dropped below the playoff line on the same day. DeBoer, who took the Dallas Stars to the last three Western Conference finals, makes his Islanders debut on Thursday, April 9.
Here are the latest USA TODAY NHL power rankings with 10 days left in the regular season:
NHL power rankings
All statistics and standings information are through April 5. Figure in parentheses is the change from the most recent power rankings two weeks ago.
1. Colorado Avalanche (0)
Defenseman Brent Burns has played in 1,001 consecutive games, just the second NHL player to reach an ironman streak of 1,000 games. The recordholder is Phil Kessel (1,064).
2. Tampa Bay Lightning (+4)
The Lightning lead the Atlantic Division heading into the week after a 7-1-2 run. They face the second-place Sabres on Monday, April 6 and third-place Canadiens on April 9.
3. Carolina Hurricanes (0)
The Hurricanes are in position to clinch a division title for the first time since 2023. They missed an opportunity to do so on April 5 and their next chance is on Wednesday, April 7.
4. Dallas Stars (-2)
The Stars are trending toward playing the Wild in the first round, but their hold on home-ice advantage has shrunk because of a 2-5-2 slide. They play Minnesota, which is two points back, on April 9.
5. Buffalo Sabres (-1)
The Sabres have ended their 14-season playoff drought, a league record. The team started surging after changing general managers but have gone through a 2-3-2 mini-slump heading into their April 6 game against the Lightning.
6. Montreal Canadiens (+1)
The Canadiens' eight-game winning streak came to an end when they were shut out by the Devils. Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki combined for 31 points during the streak.
7. Minnesota Wild (-2)
Kirill Kaprizov has hit the 40-goal mark for the fourth time in the last five seasons and added a hat trick on April 5. Matt Boldy also has 40 goals for the first time in his career.
8. Pittsburgh Penguins (+1)
The Penguins have pulled closer to ending a three-season playoff drought after they outscored the Panthers 14-6 in a weekend sweep.
9. Boston Bruins (-2)
David Pastrnak needs three points to record his fourth consecutive 100-point season.
10. Ottawa Senators (+5)
Brady Tkachuk scored twice in an April 5 win against Carolina as the Senators held onto the second wild-card spot in the East. Two days earlier, he was fined $2,500 for slashing an opponent from the bench.
11. Philadelphia Flyers (+5)
Victories against the Islanders and Bruins allowed the Flyers to jump from out of a playoff position to third in the Metropolitan Division. Porter Martone scored his first NHL goal in overtime to seal the win against Boston.
12. Utah Mammoth (+1)
The Mammoth are trending toward finishing in the first wild-card spot in the West. If they do, they would go through the weaker Pacific Division in the first two rounds of the playoffs.
13. Edmonton Oilers (+6)
The Oilers have gone 5-3 without injured No. 2 scorer Leon Draisaitl to move into the Pacific Division lead. Connor McDavid has 12 points in that stretch.
The Ducks have lost four in a row as Edmonton passed them for the Pacific Division lead on a tiebreaker. They remain in good position to end a seven-season playoff drought.
16. Vegas Golden Knights (+2)
The Golden Knights have won three in a row under coach John Tortorella after the firing of Bruce Cassidy. That includes a 5-1 win against the Oilers that pulled Vegas within a point of the Pacific Division lead.
17. New York Islanders (-6)
The Islanders dropped from third in the Metropolitan Division to out of a playoff position on April 5. New coach Peter DeBoer has four games to try to get the team into the postseason.
18. Detroit Red Wings (-4)
The Red Wings enter the week only two points out of a playoff spot but have lost six of their last eight games. They are trying to end a nine-season postseason drought, which is the NHL's longest after the Sabres clinched a playoff spot.
19. Washington Capitals (-2)
The Capitals were in position to potentially move into a playoff position on April 5 before they were crushed 8-1 by the Rangers.
20. Nashville Predators (0)
The Predators moved into the second wild-card spot in the West after beating the Kings and Sharks in recent games. They face those teams once each down the stretch, including the Kings on April 6.
21. New Jersey Devils (0)
Jacob Markstrom picked up his first shutout of the season to end the Canadiens' eight-game winning streak.
22. Los Angeles Kings (0)
The Kings will try to move into the second wild-card spot with a win against the Predators on April 6. The team has gone 7-5-5 under interim coach D.J. Smith.
23. San Jose Sharks (0)
The Sharks followed a six-game losing streak with a four-game winning streak to move into the second wild-card spot, but they dropped out after a loss to the Predators.
24. St. Louis Blues (+4)
The Blues have pulled within three points of a playoff spot with a 6-1-1 run. Robert Thomas has 12 points in that span, including his first career hat trick.
25. Winnipeg Jets (+1)
Olympic hero and reigning MVP Connor Hellebuyck is still looking for his first shutout of the season after getting a league-best eight last season.
The Kraken were in a playoff spot heading into the Olympics, but have gone 5-11-2 since to drop six points back.
29. New York Rangers (+1)
The Rangers have been eliminated from the playoffs but have won five of their last six games.
30. Calgary Flames (-1)
The Flames were crushed 9-2 by the Avalanche and lost 6-3 to the Golden Knights, then played spoiler with a win against the Ducks.
31. Chicago Blackhawks (0)
Connor Bedard, the No. 1 overall pick in 2023, has set career highs with 30 goals and 71 points despite missing 12 games with a shoulder injury.
32. Vancouver Canucks (0)
The Canucks have clinched 32nd overall in the NHL, giving them the best draft lottery odds. They have an 18.5% chance of winning outright and 25.5% odds of landing the No. 1 overall pick. Being last didn't help last year when the Islanders won the lottery with 3.5% odds.
Apr 5, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; San Diego Padres second baseman Jake Cronenworth (9) tags Boston Red Sox center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela (3) out during the seventh inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images
This isn’t a cop-out blog. I truly feel this way.
I could sit here and give you fancy-dancy analysis, couldn’t I? I have done that before and I will do so again. I don’t think a 2-7 Red Sox start calls for that type of article, though.
I’ve also done this crashout before. Dan Secatore, my fearless leader, has OK’d this before. I feel like I can only pull this move out every few years. Maybe to the uninitiated this type of prose is seen as juvenile, but I feel like I might be speaking for the masses here.
The only other time I’ve done so: August 2023. Not a good year for the Red Sox, perhaps, but I dunno what 2023 me was complaining about. Seems like we were on a relatively good run after the All-Star break up until one bad week. I can’t say for sure what made me snap on that day.
Maybe I was stressed leading up to my wedding day? That’s the only thing I can imagine, in hindsight, that was hindering my judgement.
Well, as a firmly married man right now, my mind is clear. I can feel comfortable with playing this card. I don’t get the chance to play it often—and the fact that I’m playing it in early April is awful for all of us—but it feels right to do so.
I’m playing the AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA card.
CAN OUR NINE FIGURE PITCHER GET THROUGH FIVE INNINGS IN AN OK STATE? IS THAT ASKING TOO MUCH????? AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAFUCKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABASEBAALLFUCKINGSUCKSAAAAAAAAAAAAAA GOD FUCKING DAMNIT AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAFUCKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa
I EVEN TRIED GETTING MY DOG TO TYPE ON THE KEYBOARD JUST NOW BUT HE WONT EVEN GIVE THIS TEAM THE TIME OF DAY. HE IS RIGHT TO DO SO. FUCK. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa.
IF A DOG DOESN’T EVEN WANNA AIR HIS FRUSTRATIONS THEN IS THIS TEAM EVEN WORTH THE TIME OF DAY JESUS CHRIST.
REALLY ANNOYING FUCKING TEAM. FUCK. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAasdf(my beloved wife stole some blanket from me, so that typo stays in, anyways) AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa
STUPID MISTAKES ON THE DIAMOND. HOW MANY OF THEM DO WE HAVE TO SIT THROUGH. AT WHAT POINT DO WE START ASKING TOUGH QUESTIONS ABOUT WHO IS DRIVING THE SHIP. WE ARE CONSISTENTLY BRAIN DEAD WHEN IT COMES TO FUNDAMENTALS COMING OUT OF SPRING TRAINING. FUCK. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.
I AM NOT ONE TO CALL EVERYTHING A WRAP IN EARLY APRIL BUT JESUS CHRIST THIS TEAM IS GIVING ME ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY NOTHING TO MAKE ME THINK OTHER WISE. THE STARTING PITCHING ISN’T STEPPING UP. THE BULLPEN IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH. THE OFFENSE LOOKS, RELATIVELY SPEAKING, AIMLESS.
THE SEASON STARTED ALREADY, GUYS. I CAN TRY TO BE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT OUR OFFENSIVE OUTPUT (I still think we can get on base a lot) AND OUR PITCHING (please just don’t hang as many cookies with two strikes!!!! I feel like half of the damage this season has come with two strikes!!!!) AND YOU WILL BE OK. GROW THE FUCK UP, THOUGH!!!!! GROW UP!!!!!! DON’T LEAVE ALL OF YOUR SCORING TO ONE FUCKING INNING. JESUS!!!!!!!!!!! GROW UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!! BE BASEBALL PLAYERS!!!!!!!!!!!! THE SEASON STARTED!!!!!! YOU ARE A TEAM A LOT OF PEOPLE PUT STOCK IN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GROW UP!!!!!!!!!!!!! GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Song of the Week: “Somebody Kill Me Please” by Adam Sandler
The Cure is great, in his defense.
One more for the road, because I might as well: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.
"The Isles replaced a coach who won 97 games for them with a coach who has 97 playoff wins."
Those were the fine words of New York Islanders statistician Eric Hornick, who dropped that line in Monday morning's 'The Skinny' after Pete DeBoer was hired to replace Patrick Roy.
#TheSkinny on the Coaching Change and Playoff Chase has some numbers on the new coach, the old coach, and the #isles spot in the standings.https://t.co/DfqPx2EoAR NYI will spend at least four days out of a playoff spot; the question now is can Pete DeBoer get them back into one.
DeBoer has an impeccable track record as an NHL coach.
Over his 17 seasons behind an NHL bench -- this latest hiring means 18 straight seasons as an NHL head coach -- DeBoer has made the playoffs 10 times.
After only making the playoffs once in his first five seasons behind the bench -- he fell to the Los Angeles Kings in the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals -- he's made the playoffs in nine of the last 11 seasons -- he didn't make it through the 2019-20 season with the San Jose Sharks before they cut bait.
DeBoer's teams have all won at least one round in his last seven playoff appearances, the latest being the Dallas Stars in 2025, who fell in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals.
So, to sum things up, DeBoer has coached in the playoffs 10 times. He's made it past the first round nine times, the second round eight times, and has fallen in the finals twice.
The question, with four games to go, is whether he can get the Islanders to the playoffs with the odds against them.
The heavyweight from Dagestan now lives in Canada and describes Saturday’s opponent as the ‘professor’ of boxing
“This guy is the professor,” Arslanbek Makhmudov says of Tyson Fury as he looks forward politely to their fight on Saturday night at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. There is none of the usual bluster and malice of heavyweight boxing as the huge Russian from Dagestan shows considerable respect for the former world champion who is making yet another comeback to the ring.
“Tyson Fury is the professor of mind and boxing,” Makhmudov continues in his functional but effective English. “A lot of boxing is mental and he is a master. But boxing is also spiritual. I am going to be strong, spiritual and smart. You can say this is a war between mental and spiritual and we’ll see who is more successful. Inshallah it is spiritual.”
