Sports
Gunning for three-peat, Aces open first-round series with Storm
Indiana Fever forward Katie Lou Samuelson (33) attempts to block Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson (22) on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, during a game between the Indiana Fever and the Las Vegas Aces at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Aces defeated the Fever, 86-75. After jockeying for home-court advantage down the stretch of the regular season, the fifth-seeded Seattle Storm and host Las Vegas Aces will meet on Sunday night for Game 1 of their best-of-three, first-round playoff series.
The two-time defending champion Aces earned the No. 4 seed and the potential to have two home games in the series with Seattle thanks to a five-game winning streak to end the regular season. During that run, Las Vegas scored an 85-72 victory over the Storm.
A’ja Wilson, making a push for her third career WNBA MVP award, posted 21 points and seven rebounds in that win over Seattle — modest numbers compared to her regular-season averages of 26.9 points (league high) and 11.9 rebounds per game.
Teammate Kelsey Plum has advocated for Wilson to be named unanimous MVP, a major milestone in a year in which Wilson also led Team USA to a gold medal at the Paris Olympics. Wilson has played a key role in putting Las Vegas in position to become the league’s first three-peat champion since the Houston Comets secured four titles in a row from 1997-2000.
Depth could also play a significant role in the Aces’ title pursuit. Following Thursday’s regular-season-ending 98-84 win over the Dallas Wings, Las Vegas coach Becky Hammon touted the team’s strength off the bench.
“Just the quality of player from one through 12 is really good,” Hammon said. “Anybody’s number can be called over the course of the next month. … They should have a whole lot of confidence, not only in themselves, but in the person next to them.”
Seattle ran neck-and-neck with Las Vegas for the final few weeks of the regular season, closing the campaign with five wins in six games behind a pestering defense. The Storm allowed 78.8 points per game this year, the fourth-lowest average in the WNBA.
“I personally don’t really subscribe to the idea of peaking,” Seattle forward Nneka Ogwumike said. “I think that there’s obviously ebbs and flows to a season. … I do feel as though these few games, the rhythm we’ve been playing with is good going into the playoffs.”
The Storm ended the regular season with Thursday’s 89-70 rout of the Phoenix Mercury. Making the blowout all the more impressive was the fact that Seattle was without Jewell Loyd (knee) and Ezi Magbegor (concussion).
Loyd will be good to go for Sunday’s meeting, while Magbegor has already been ruled out.
Las Vegas took three games from the Storm during the four-game regular-season series between the teams.
–Field Level Media
Sports
NHL scores highest TV ratings in 14 seasons
May 6, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin (74) is interviewed by ESPN reporter Emily Kaplan (R) after scoring the overtime goal against the Washington Capitals in game one of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images A year after NHL viewership shrunk, the league drew its highest average television audiences in 14 years for the just-concluded regular season, Sports Business Journal and Sports Media Watch reported on Tuesday.
In games on ESPN, ABC and TNT/truTV, the NHL posted averages of 546,000 viewers, per the reports. That’s a year-on-year increase of at least 23% and a better average than all seasons since 2012-13, when NBC and NBCSN averaged 590,000.
Nielsen’s change in methodology might explain a part of the decade-plus high, as ratings across all sports are higher based on the new measurement system. NBA ratings were up 35% this year, other sports also seeing double-digit-percentage increases.
The 54 games airing on ESPN and ABC drew 760,000 viewers on average, a 30% jump from 2024-25. ESPN games in particular saw a major rating improvement, with games attracting 602,000 on average, a 48% hike from the prior season.
TNT/truTV carried 72 games that brought in 381,000 viewers on average, a rise of 21% year-on-year. Those contests saw a significant bump after Team USA won hockey gold at the Milan Olympics, as NHL viewership on TNT Sports rose to 453,000 on average following the league’s midseason break.
The top-rated NHL game of the regular season was the Stadium Series game at Tampa on Feb. 1, when the Tampa Bay Lightning edged the Boston Bruins 6-5 in a shootout. ESPN drew 2.07 million viewers for that contest, a cable-TV record for an NHL regular-season game.
NHL ratings declined in the 2024-25 season despite the league replacing the All-Star Game with the wildly popular 4 Nations Face-Off that saw Canada defeat the United States 3-2 in overtime in the final.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Nicolas Roy's OT tally gives Avalanche 2-0 advantage over Kings
Apr 21, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood (41) makes a save against Los Angeles Kings right wing Alex Laferriere (14) in the first period in game two of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images Nicolas Roy scored at 7:44 of overtime to lift Colorado to a 2-1 win against the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday in Denver, giving the Avalanche a 2-0 lead in a Western Conference first-round playoff series.
Roy got to a loose puck in the slot and shot it through the legs of Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke and past goalie Anton Forsberg for the win.
Game 3 will be played Thursday night in Los Angeles.
Gabriel Landeskog scored the tying goal late in regulation and Scott Wedgewood made 24 saves for the Avalanche, who won the series opener 2-1 on Sunday.
During the regular season, Wedgewood led the NHL in goals-against average (2.02) and save percentage (.921).
Anton Forsberg made 34 saves for the Kings in his second career postseason start, both in the current series. He has allowed two goals or fewer in eight of his past nine starts.
Neither team scored until the final seven minutes of the third period.
The Kings were on a power play when Trevor Moore brought the puck along the goal line before making a backhand pass to Panarin just above the left hashmarks. Panarin had time to gather the puck before shooting it into the net for a 1-0 lead at 13:04.
The Avalanche tied it with 3:35 left in regulation.
Devon Toews made a diagonal pass from above the left point to Martin Necas on the opposite goal line. Necas passed the puck back through the top of the crease to Landeskog, who was cutting to the net, and he scored with a one-timer.
Kings forward Quinton Byfield was hooked by Cale Makar on a short-handed breakaway at 3:12 of the second period, resulting in a penalty shot, but Wedgewood made a lunching glove save to keep the game scoreless.
During the penalty, fans broke the glass behind the Los Angeles bench, causing shards to fall on Kings interim coach D.J. Smith. Play was halted for 19 minutes as the glass was cleaned up and replaced.
The Avalanche briefly celebrated nine seconds into the third period after defenseman Sam Malinski took a one-timer from the left point that hit the net, but replays showed the puck had stuck in the net on the outside of the left post.
–Field Level Media
Sports
NBA roundup: After Victor Wembanyama's exit, Blazers level series
Apr 21, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) talks with guard Stephon Castle (5) after falling to the ground during the first half of game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Portland Trail Blazers at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images Scoot Henderson poured in a season-best 31 points as the visiting Portland Trail Blazers came back from 14 points down in the fourth quarter to outlast the short-handed San Antonio Spurs 106-103 on Tuesday and even their first-round Western Conference playoff series at one win each.
The teams will play Game 3 on Friday in Portland, and it’s unclear if the Spurs will have Victor Wembanyama available. The NBA Defensive Player of the Year hit his face on the floor in the second quarter and was diagnosed with a concussion. He is scheduled for further testing on Wednesday.
The Spurs, led by Stephon Castle’s team-high 18 points, carried a one-point lead into the fourth quarter but reeled off the first 13 points of the final period to build their advantage to 93-79. The Trail Blazers roared back to take the lead via a 7-0 run capped by a Jrue Holiday layup with 2:02 left and held on from there.
Holiday produced 16 points and nine assists, and Deni Avdija added 14 points for the Trail Blazers. The Spurs got 17 points from De’Aaron Fox plus 16 points and 12 rebounds from Devin Vassell.
Lakers 101, Rockets 94
LeBron James compiled 28 points, eight rebounds and seven assists to lead Los Angeles to a victory over visiting Houston, giving the Lakers a 2-0 lead in their first-round Western Conference playoff series.
With leading scorers Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) watching from the bench, Los Angeles’ Marcus Smart added 25 points, shooting 5 of 7 from 3-point range, and Game 1 hero Luke Kennard contributed 23 points, going 3 of 6 from deep.
Kevin Durant, who missed the opening game with a right knee contusion, scored 23 points for the Rockets, but he had nine turnovers and was held to three points after halftime. Alperen Sengun paired 20 points with 11 rebounds.
76ers 111, Celtics 97
VJ Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey combined to make 11 3-pointers and score 59 total points as Philadelphia bounced back to even its Eastern Conference playoff series with host Boston.
Seventh-seeded Philadelphia shook off a dismal Game 1 performance, which included making just four 3-pointers in a 123-91 loss, with a complete reversal on the offensive end. The Sixers, who got 19 points from Paul George, shot a torrid 19 of 39 (48.7%) from beyond the arc in Game 2.
Jaylen Brown went for a game-high 36 points and Jayson Tatum finished with 19 points to go with his game-high 14 rebounds for the Celtics. No other Boston player reached double figures in scoring, a stark contrast from Game 1, when the Celtics’ entire starting five notched at least 10 points.
–Field Level Media
NHL scores highest TV ratings in 14 seasons
Nicolas Roy's OT tally gives Avalanche 2-0 advantage over Kings
