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Spurs look to continue torrid stretch against feisty Mavericks

NBA: Portland Trail Blazers at San Antonio SpursApr 8, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija (8) drives to the basket against San Antonio Spurs forward Carter Bryant (11) during the second half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

The San Antonio Spurs look to keep their momentum growing in preparation for the upcoming playoffs when they host the Dallas Mavericks on Friday in the penultimate game of the regular season for the Lone Star State rivals.

The Spurs (61-19) have won 13 of their past 14 games and have gone 29-3 since Feb.1, but they still couldn’t run down Oklahoma City for the best record in either the Western Conference or the league. San Antonio has been forced to settle for second in both races and will host the seventh seed (either the Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Clippers or Portland Trail Blazers) in the first round of the playoffs next week.

“It’s an exciting time, and you can feel it,” Spurs forward Devin Vassell said of San Antonio’s first trip to playoffs since the 2018-19 campaign. “The fans are ready. The organization’s ready. We’re ready. I’m just excited for us to get it going.”

San Antonio heads into Friday’s game after a 112-101 home win over Portland on Wednesday that was produced with both Victor Wembanyama (left rib contusion) and Stephon Castle (right knee soreness) on the bench. Both players are listed as questionable to play against Dallas.

The Spurs got 25 points from De’Aaron Fox in the Portland victory, while Keldon Johnson added 20 points and Carter Bryant posted career highs with 17 points and four assists. Vassell had 14 points, Dylan Harper scored 13 and Luke Kornet hit for 10.

San Antonio’s bench players outscored Portland’s reserves 48-10. With little on the line in either Friday’s game or Sunday’s regular-season finale at home with Denver, expect the Spurs to continue to showcase their depth.

After Bryant’s career night, Spurs coach Mitch Johnson says the rookie will be a key part of his playoff rotation.

“Carter played within himself in terms of things that we’ve been talking about, and practicing and training on and the ball found him, and he shot (in) rhythm with confidence when he was open,” Johnson said. “He will play in the playoffs. Carter’s definitely grown just by the natural evolution of he had zero games under his belt before this year started.”

The Mavericks (25-55) travel south to the Alamo City after a 112-107 loss at Phoenix on Wednesday. John Poulakidas hit for a career-high 23 points and made five 3-pointers in the setback, while Marvin Bagley III had 20 points, Max Christie scored 18 and Cooper Flagg had 11 points, 13 rebounds and six assists for Dallas, strengthening his case for Rookie of the Year.

Dallas, which has dropped 10 of its past 12 contests, hung tough in the loss to the Suns in the second game of a road back-to-back despite playing without Naji Marshall (left hip contusion), P.J. Washington (left elbow sprain) and Klay Thompson (rest). Marshall and Washington are listed as doubtful for Friday’s game.

That situation gave Poulakidas, a rookie, a chance to show how he’s grown this season, and he made the most of that chance.

“I wanted to come into this game playing freely, playing aggressively, and I thought I did that,” said Poulakidas, a former March Madness hero for Yale. “When I was going through my pregame routines, I was filling a little bit of extra juice because I knew that I was going to get the opportunity. I just wanted to be ready when the ball came to me.”

The Spurs have captured all three games against Dallas this season.

–Field Level Media

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Timo Baumgartl scores in 61st minute as St. Louis City tie FC Dallas

MLS: St. Louis CITY SC at FC DallasApr 11, 2026; Frisco, Texas, USA; St. Louis CITY SC forward Simon Becher (11) dribbles the ball as FC Dallas defender Osaze Urhoghide (3) defends during the first half at Toyota Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Timo Baumgartl’s 61st-minute goal negated Louicius Deedson’s opener as visiting St. Louis City SC earned a 1-1 draw against FC Dallas.

The equalizer was the first goal in four matches at Toyota Stadium for St. Louis (1-3-3, 6 points), which has gone 1-0-2 in its last three matches after getting shut out in three straight.

Dallas (3-1-3, 12 points) is now unbeaten (2-0-2) in its last four matches and has outscored St. Louis, 8-1, in those four home matches.

The teams played to a scoreless draw in the opening 45 minutes, despite chances from both sides. St. Louis’ Marcel Hartel had two chances himself early on.

He took the ball down to the end line in the third minute and sent it across the goal mouth, but there was nobody home to tap it in. Then, in the 21st minute, Hartel took the ball down the left side into the box and tried to beat Michael Collodi to the near post, but Dallas’ goalkeeper turned it aside.

In the 30th minute, Conrad Wallem just missed connecting with Sergio Cordova, which would have left the St. Louis attacker alone in the middle.

Dallas’ Kaick, who came on for his injured Brazilian countryman Ramiro in the 36th minute, was high on a header three minutes later off a cross into the box from Deedson.

Petar Musa, who came into the match tied for the MLS lead with seven goals, was quiet for most of the first half, but he came alive late.

He was called offside on an attempt that hit the post in the third minute of extra time, and then, one minute later, he took a pass from Logan Farrington into the box and forced a save from St. Louis goalkeeper Roman Burki, who had two saves.

Musa played a role in Dallas’ goal three minutes into the second half. He intercepted a St. Louis pass and freed up Deedson on the left side, and the Haitian International finished for his first goal of the season.

The assist was Musa’s first of the season, and the goal stood up for 20 minutes. St. Louis’ Daniel Edelman sent a ball to the far post, where two teammates ran onto it. Baumgartl got in first and finished Edelman’s cross with a right-footed shot from close range.

Burki and Collodi, who had four saves, denied late winners off attempts from both attacking sides to preserve the draw.

–Field Level Media

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Team Liquid 1st team to 2-0 at LCS Spring

Syndication: Democrat and ChronicleYMCA member Austin Manengu works the keyboard as he plays a game of Fortnite during the unveiling of the new gaming lab at the Maplewood Family YMCA in Rochester Thursday, June 20, 2024. YMCA of Greater Rochester in partnership with Metro Sports & Entertainment Group will open two gaming labs for youth and teens this year.

Team Liquid moved to the top of the standings with a win over Shopify Rebellion as Week 2 of the regular season of the LCS Spring event began Saturday.

Team Liquid won 2-0 in a battle of 1-0 teams, while LYON beat Dignitas 2-1 in the other match of the day.

Eight teams will compete in best-of-three matches in the round-robin regular season before advancing to the playoffs of the League of Legends event, which will be contested in best-of-five matches in a double-elimination format. The top two teams will qualify for the Mid-Season Invitational.

Liquid completed its sweep with a pair of wins on blue in 25 and 38 minutes. Brandon “Josedeodo” Villegas of Argentina and Ru-han “Morgan” Park of South Korea took home MVP honors in the triumph.

Dignitas won the opener of its match in 33 minutes before LYON roared back with a 36-minute victory on red followed by a 30-minute clincher on blue. American/Indian competitor Niship “Dhokla” Doshi and Jonah “Isles” Rosario of Australia were MVPs for the two LYON victories, and American Lawrence “Exyu” Xu was MVP of Dignitas’ opening victory.

Week 2 concludes Sunday with FlyQuest facing Disguised and Sentinels taking on Cloud9.

Regular season standings (Win-loss total, map differential)

1. Team Liquid, 2-0, 4-1

T2 Cloud9, 1-0, 2-1

T2. Disguised, 1-0, 2-1

T4. Shopify Rebellion, 1-1, 2-2

T4. Lyon, 1-1, 3-3

T6. FlyQuest, 0-1, 1-2

T6. Sentinels, 0-1, 1-2

8. Dignitas, 0-2, 1-4

–Field Level Media

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Rose Lavelle records goal, assist in USWNT's victory over Japan

Soccer: International Womens Friendly-Japan at USAApr 11, 2026; San Jose, California, USA; United States midfielder Rose Lavelle (16) reacts after scoring a goal against Japan during the first half at PayPal Park. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Rose Lavelle celebrated her 100th start with a goal and an assist to help the U.S. women’s national team to a 2-1 win in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday to open a three-match series against Japan.

Lavelle, in her 119th match, scored in the 9th minute off a set piece then set up Lindsey Heaps in the 48th for the 2-0 lead.

Riko Ueki stunned the Americans in the 61st minute to cut the deficit in half on their first goal allowed in nine matches.

The friendlies continue Tuesday in Seattle and Friday in Commerce City, Colo.

The Americans got the early advantage after Sophia Wilson drew a foul. She played her first USWNT match since Oct. 27, 2024, and made her first start since the gold medal match in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Wilson gave birth to a daughter in September 2025.

On the ensuing restart, Trinity Rodman was to the left of the goal when she sent a flighted ball to the middle of the box. Lavelle used her left foot to flick it past goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita for her 28th goal with the national team.

The U.S. failed to double the lead 14 minutes later when an unmarked Alyssa Thompson at the left post couldn’t convert a cross from Wilson.

Alyssa and Gisele Thompson broke the USWNT record for sisters starting in the same match with four. Samantha and Kristie Mewis started in the same match three times.

It didn’t take long after the break to gain some breathing room thanks to the high pressure from Gisele Thompson which created a turnover. She sent Lavelle down the left channel but Lavelle’s service to the box was blocked.

Fortunately for the U.S., the ball deflected to Lavelle and she found Heaps on the run for a left-footed shot and her 40th goal.

The USWNT’s scoreless streak ended at 865 minutes as Ueki, who entered at the start of the second half, took a headed pass from Honoka Hayashi to score with a header from the center of the box.

Ueki almost tied it in the 78th minute with an 8-yard shot that forced a reactionary save by Claudia Dickey, who made four saves; Yamashita had one.

–Field Level Media

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