Sports
Home to close, Spurs push to end series with Blazers in 5
Apr 26, 2026; Portland, Oregon, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) reverse dunks the basketball during the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers during game four of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images Victor Wembanyama is back in full force as the San Antonio Spurs head home looking to finish off the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday in Game 5 of the Western Conference first-round playoff series.
The Spurs claimed a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series Sunday with a 114-97 come-from-behind win in Portland. If the Trail Blazers win Tuesday, they can force Game 6 in Portland on Thursday.
De’Aaron Fox scored 28 points in Sunday’s win and Victor Wembanyama had 27 in his return from a concussion. He sat out the second half of Game 2 and all of Game 3 due to concussion protocol. Wembanyama also had 11 rebounds, seven blocks and four steals in Sunday’s victory.
Stephon Castle scored 16 points for the Spurs. He’s dealing with an injured left hand and was in foul trouble in Game 4, when Devin Vassell added 11 points. San Antonio trailed by 19 points following a ragged second quarter but dominated after halftime, outscoring Portland 73-35.
“We need to find the answers, you know, before having our back against the wall,” Wembanyama said. “But that also shows the strength of our team. In adversity, we stick together, we get closer to each other. We feed off of each other’s energy. There’s no useless drama between us. You know, we thrive when we do the invisible efforts that benefit others. There’s no jealousy. There’s no nobody cares about their stat line, so it’s our greatest strength.”
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson has witnessed a maturation process with his young team that became more evident with the road playoff win. The next step might prove most difficult — closing out the No. 7 Blazers.
“This gives you a lot of takeaways,” he explained. “A lot of feedback on things you got to be better on and improve upon, and try to not put yourself in a position when you got to dig yourself out of a hole. We have to continue to balance that attack mentality, starting off games while still anchoring to our fundamentals and discipline of game plan, execution.”
Deni Avdija had 26 points in Game 4 to rebound from his poor shooting in the previous two games. Avdija was 8-of-31 shooting combined in Games 2 and 3. The Blazers will need him on his game along with Scoot Henderson, who had a season-high 31 points in the Trail Blazers’ Game 2 win in San Antonio but missed all seven of his shot attempts Sunday.
A hot start could do wonders for Portland’s confidence Tuesday following abysmal second-half showings in Portland.
“We knew they were going to come out and be more aggressive,” Avdija said. “We expected it. I just think coming out the half, we didn’t make shots, and they went on a run. Suddenly, you look up at the scoreboard, and it’s a closer game.”
Portland coach Tiago Splitter said his team would go back to work to try to find a solution and extend the series.
“I think the guys fought hard,” Splitter said. ” In the second half, we mentally kind of like broke down, couldn’t get over the fact that we were up, and then they just came back to the game. Didn’t shoot the ball well, turned over the ball.
“We’ve got to hold our composure and be more present. I tried to, you know, slow down a little bit but couldn’t find a solution. It’s all of us, coaches, players we all got to be better. We got to win every game that we have in front of us, and we’re going to fight one by one.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Fever's Kelsey Mitchell, Sophie Cunningham remain committed to Europe's Project B
Sep 28, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell (0) in the second half during game four against the Las Vegas Aces of the second round for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images Indiana Fever stars Kelsey Mitchell and Sophie Cunningham remain committed to upstart women’s basketball league Project B despite some earlier mixed messages about how the WNBA’s new CBA might affect their desire to play overseas.
Mitchell told reporters last week that it would take a “drastic, unique situation” to play overseas after the new CBA increased player salaries from a maximum of around $250,000 to $1.4 million.
However, she told Front Office Sports on Saturday that the nature of Project B — a touring league with seven two-week long tournaments across Europe, Asia, and Latin America from November 2026 to April 2027 — provides her with the flexibility to return to the United States in between the 5-on-5 league’s tournaments.
“There’s a big difference, and I think people recognize what that difference is,” said Mitchell, a 2025 All-WNBA First-Team selection. “Project B gives you a chance to do both, go in and come out, whereas (with) overseas basketball you’ve gotta be over there, eight months or seven months, just to get everything you want.”
Mitchell, 30, is entering her ninth WNBA season. She is a three-time All-Star and averaged a career-high 20.2 points last season and finished fifth in the MVP balloting.
Her Fever teammate Cunningham is also still committed to playing for Project B, which she said she initially signed with out of a desire for “security” when it was unclear whether a 2026 WNBA season would happen amidst the ongoing CBA talks.
Project B will reportedly pay out seven-figure salaries starting at $2 million and offer players equity in the league.
“When they’re offering that type of money, plus the signing bonus, plus having equity in the company, it’s a no-brainer. I have financially smart people around me, and they’re like, ‘You got to do it. Your body’s got to suck it up,'” said Cunningham, who will also be a WNBA analyst for USA Network this coming season while continuing to co-host the “Show Me Something” podcast with reality TV star West Wilson.
Cunningham, 29, spent her first six WNBA seasons with the Phoenix Mercury before being obtained by Indiana before last season.
The 6-foot-1 Cunningham averaged 8.6 points and 3.5 rebounds in 30 games (13 starts) in 2025 before she sustained a season-ending MCL tear in her right knee. She has averages of 7.9 points and 2.8 rebounds in 212 career games (105 starts), with 305 career 3-pointers and 154 steals.
“When companies pour into us, they really see our value,” Cunningham said. “That’s not just on the basketball court — that’s just in life as a businesswoman.”
Both players signed one-year deals with the Fever, with Mitchell making $1.4 million on a supermax deal and Cunningham earning $655,000 for the season.
Mitchell and Cunningham are among 13 players who were announced as participants for Project B, which will play in various countries. Play is expected to begin in November, with the last stop slated to be Tokyo from March 26-April 4, per FOS.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Rockies-Reds series pits two of NL's surprise teams
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Chase Burns (26) throws a pitch in the third inning of the MLB National League game between the Cincinnati Reds and the San Francisco Giants at Great American Ball Park on Thursday, April 16, 2026. Two teams coming off impressive weekend series meet when the Colorado Rockies visit the Cincinnati Reds in the opener of a three-game series Tuesday night.
The Reds have been one of the better stories in the National League to open the season. They’ve won all 11 of their games decided by two runs or less in racing to the top of the NL Central. Cincinnati dropped an 8-3 decision to the Detroit Tigers Sunday but still took two of three in the series and have won nine of 12 heading into the series with the Rockies.
Colorado is coming off a road sweep of the New York Mets, in which they allowed just four runs in the three-game set, capped by a Sunday doubleheader of 3-1 and 3-0 victories. Colorado has already won 13 games before the month of May after winning just 43 in all of 2025.
The series opener features a compelling contrast on the mound. The Reds will hand the ball to right-hander Chase Burns (2-1, 2.57 ERA), who has emerged as a cornerstone of their young rotation. Burns has been dominant early this season, recording 30 strikeouts in his first five starts and allowing two or fewer runs in four of those outings.
Colorado counters with veteran right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano (2-1, 3.42 ERA). Sugano has been a stabilizing force for a Rockies rotation that has struggled with depth, providing the experienced veteran presence the team was looking for heading into the season.
The Reds’ offense continues to be sparked by Elly De La Cruz, whose combination of speed and power remains a nightmare for opposing pitchers. Complementing him is third baseman Sal Stewart, who leads the team with a .291 batting average and a .385 on-base percentage.
Cincinnati had 10 home runs in the just-completed series against Detroit and has 37 homers on the season. The Cincinnati bullpen has been very reliable, though it was rocked for six runs in four innings of Sunday’s loss to the Tigers. Detroit scored four in the seventh and two more in the eighth after starter Rhett Lowder left with a 3-2 lead after five innings.
“Early on our guys were fine,” Reds manager Terry Francona said. “It went (bad) from there. I know it’s early. No matter what time of year it is, that’s a hard way to win.”
Francona has had to lean on his bullpen in the first month of the season as the rotation has dealt with inconsistency from Andrew Abbott and injuries that have sidelined Nick Lodolo and Hunter Greene.
Colorado outfielder Troy Johnston leads the club with a .315 average and a .371 OBP. As for the pitching, despite posting the second-most relief innings in MLB early on, the Rockies have maintained high efficiency. A shift in philosophy under new pitching coaches has improved the performance of young arms like Jaden Hill.
Five pitchers have at least one save for the Rockies, with veteran Antonio Senzatela and Victor Vodnik combining for six saves in their eight chances.
“There are 15, 16 or 17 guys who will ultimately take on a lot of the innings here,” Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said of the bullpen. “The talent base of the pitching is there… the guys have to keep progressing.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Pat Riley plans to run Heat, not into retirement, at 81
Apr 1, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat president Pat Riley looks on after the game against the Boston Celtics at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images He celebrated his 81st birthday last month but Heat president Pat Riley is “really pissed” and fully committed to getting Miami back to the playoffs next season.
“I’m not going to retire. I’m not going to resign,” Riley said Monday. “I’m not going to step aside. When I came here almost 31 years ago, I have the same attitude as I had in that press conference on the (cruise line ship) Imagination. Period. I want another parade down Biscayne Blvd. It may come. It may not. It has always been my desire is to win, to win big. I’m not going down that road talking about (retiring). I just clarified it’s not going to happen unless something happens that I can’t control.”
Riley said the only philosophical approach that could lead him to walk away from his 32nd year with the Heat would be ownership deciding to “tank” in an effort to stockpile draft picks. Miami hasn’t been in the lottery — picks 1-14 in the NBA draft — since 2018. But the Heat are in the lottery this year.
Miami missed the playoffs for the first time since 2018-19 when the Charlotte Hornets beat the Heat in the 9-10 play-in game earlier this month.
“You don’t make radical changes right now, not in my philosophy,” Riley said. “I am not going to tank. We are not going to lose. We are not going into the lottery and do that insanity because I will quit — if I ever get ordered to go down that road. I am always thinking of ways to win. Now all I can give you is a bunch of excuses. And I don’t want to do that. We are just not good enough. We are not happy with it. This is the first time in those three years that we have an opportunity to do something with our roster, with our flexibility, with our players.”
The decision ultimately falls to ownership, Riley acknowledged as part of an admission that outside perception on the pecking order and power structure in Miami. He said the gavel on personnel decisions and organizational plans has always rested with Heat owner Micky Arison.
“There are times when he said, ‘No. I don’t think we should go down that road,'” Riley said of Arison’s role in the decision-making structure of the Heat. “And that is the way it is today. I don’t have final say here. I never had it. Never had it when I came, and quite frankly, I don’t think I want it.”
Arison purchased the Heat franchise in 1995 and hired Riley, who said he still feels the same fire to deliver a winner. Losing and not making the postseason fanned those flames, he said.
“I’m really pissed,” Riley said. “I’m disappointed. Disgruntled. Just like everybody else in the organization that understands what we are about — about winning. The last three or four years, with (the) exception of the ’23 season when we got all the way to the Finals, has been something that I am not, we are not proud of.”
–Field Level Media
Fever's Kelsey Mitchell, Sophie Cunningham remain committed to Europe's Project B
Rockies-Reds series pits two of NL's surprise teams
