Sports
Dillon Brooks, Suns seek to cool down streaking Cavaliers
Jan 29, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks (3) reacts against the Detroit Pistons in the second half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images The Phoenix Suns distributed “Dillon the Villain” T-shirts to fans on Thursday.
Dillon Brooks turned it into more than just a fashion statement.
Brooks scored a career-high 40 points and made four 3-pointers as the Suns opened a back-to-back set with a 114-96 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Thursday.
“I didn’t want to disappoint and lose on my villain night,” Brooks said in a postgame TV interview.
The Suns on Friday night will host the streaking Cleveland Cavaliers, who are in a four-team scramble for the second seed in the Eastern Conference behind the Pistons. The Cavaliers have won a season-high five games in a row.
“I was just getting to my spots, something I work on every day,” Brooks said. “My teammates and my coaches are trusting my work, my shooting, and my scoring ability.
“I’m just in a flow state (as the game progress), just trying to keep scoring, keep playing hard, not give into the fatigue and try to win the game.”
Brooks added eight rebounds and four assists as the Suns won their second straight game without leading scorer Devin Booker (sprained ankle) while finding their outside shooting touch.
Collin Gillespie made five 3-pointers and Grayson Allen added four for the Suns, who were 16 of 42 from beyond the arc. They were 12 of 55 from long distance in the last two games.
Suns coach Jordan Ott said he was unaware of the Brooks T-shirt giveaway until afterward.
“We can give it away every night if it looks like that,” said Ott, a Cleveland assistant last season.
The Cavaliers blew out the visiting Los Angeles Lakers 129-99 in their most recent game Wednesday.
Cleveland has won seven of its past eight games as it enters the first contest of a five-game road trip that includes games against the Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets.
Donovan Mitchell had a team-high 25 points Wednesday for the Cavaliers, who outscored the Lakers 72-44 in the second half. Second-year wing Jaylon Tyson had 20 points, six assists and six rebounds while making his eighth straight start alongside Mitchell.
“Our intensity level on both ends of the floor,” Mitchell said of the reason for the recent success in a postgame TV interview. “Not getting too high, not getting too low. Starting the games off strong. That is what we do, find ways to be connected and be together. And this guy (Tyson) has been phenomenal.”
Mitchell averages 29.4 points per game, fifth-best in the league, and has 170 3-pointers, one behind Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry for the league lead.
While Mitchell has been a constant, Tyson’s strong play has helped mitigate the injury losses of starting guard Darius Garland (toe) and center Evan Mobley (calf). Garland has missed the last seven games, and Mobley will sit out his second straight contest.
“There is a lot more required of both of us,” Mitchell said. “We’re ready to step up.”
Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said he has been “blown away” by the play of Tyson, who is averaging 13.8 points and 5.6 rebounds in 44 games (29 starts).
“It bodes really well for our future if we can get a 6-foot-7 wing, kind of a secondary playmaker,” Atkinson said.
The coach said he would not call the victory over the Lakers’ a “statement” win but did say there are “wins that feel better … LeBron (James) here, and it’s the Lakers. I think that’s important. You don’t want to go into this long, tough road trip with a loss.”
James, a longtime former Cavaliers star and fan favorite, was held to 11 points as he suffered his worst defeat in Cleveland as a visiting player.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Mets' Francisco Lindor (calf) exits vs. Twins
Apr 22, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) reacts after his RBI infield single against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor exited Wednesday night’s game against the visiting Minnesota Twins after the fourth inning due to left calf tightness
Lindor, who was on first base following a single, did not appear to be running at full speed as he circled the diamond and scored on Francisco Alvarez’s double.
The 32-year-old grimaced while rounding third and remained on the ground for a few seconds after sliding in ahead of Victor Caratini’s tag to give the Mets — who have lost 12 straight — a 2-1 lead.
Lindor was injured the same day Juan Soto returned from a 15-game absence due to a strained right calf. The Mets won their first three games after Soto was injured Apr. 3 before beginning their losing streak.
Lindor has missed just 15 games since his most recent IL stint in 2021, when he missed more than five weeks due to a right oblique strain.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Braves blast four homers to bypass Nationals
Apr 22, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Atlanta Braves outfielder Michael Harris II (23) celebrates as he rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run in the second inning against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images Michael Harris II hit two home runs, Matt Olson smacked a three-run shot and the Atlanta Braves rallied from an early three-run deficit to claim an 8-6 win against the host Washington Nationals on Wednesday night.
The seventh multi-homer game of Harris’ career helped Atlanta manager Walt Weiss earn his 300th victory. Drake Baldwin homered for the second straight game for the Braves, who have earned at least a split of the four-game series.
Dylan Lee (1-0) pitched a scoreless inning for the win. Robert Suarez pitched the ninth for his second save. After walking 12 batters on Tuesday night, Braves pitchers issued only three free passes.
James Wood homered for the second straight game for Washington. Daylen Lile hit a three-run homer and Joey Wiemer had a pinch-hit solo shot.
Washington starter Zack Littell (0-3) allowed eight runs (six earned) on seven hits over six innings.
The Braves started in on Littell early as Baldwin homered to right center in the first to make it 1-0.
Washington jumped in front with a four-run first against Atlanta starter Didier Fuentes, who lasted just three innings while allowing seven hits and four runs.
Wood and Luis Garcia, Jr. opened the first with singles and, after two strikeouts, Lile delivered a homer to center. Jacob Young singled and scored when Jorbit Vivas doubled to right.
The Braves came right back. Ozzie Albies reached on a Vivas error and Harris homered to right. Mike Yastrzemski singled, went to third on a single by Jonah Heim and scored on a sacrifice fly by Ronald Acuna, Jr.
Harris struck again in the third as his solo shot gave the Braves a 5-4 lead.
Atlanta broke it open in the fourth. Heim and Acuna drew one-out walks and, with two outs, Olson homered to right to make it 8-4.
The Nationals cut the deficit in half in the sixth on solo homers by pinch-hitter Wiemer and Wood, whose 413-foot shot was his National League-leading ninth of the season.
Washington got the tying runs on with two outs in the eighth, but Tyler Kinley struck out Curtis Mead.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Max Fried dominates as Yankees nearly blank Red Sox again
Apr 22, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Max Fried (54) pitches against the Boston Red Sox in the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images Amed Rosario had four RBI in just two plate appearances and Max Fried pitched eight shutout innings, leading the visiting New York Yankees to a 4-1 win over the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night.
Rosario’s three-run shot in the first inning was all that New York needed, as Fried (3-1) allowed just three hits and two walks while striking out nine, completing a masterful outing in exactly 100 pitches.
Adding to the New York offense, Giancarlo Stanton went 2-for-4 with two doubles and a run scored, while Aaron Judge crossed the plate twice.
Jarren Duran (3-for-4) doubled twice and knocked in Boston’s only run with a ninth-inning single.
Boston left-hander Ranger Suarez (1-2) took the loss after allowing four runs through 4 2/3 innings, but the relief duo of Zack Kelly and Eduardo Rivera pitched scoreless, one-hit ball the rest of the way.
Rivera, who was recalled from Triple-A Worcester earlier in the day, pitched 3 1/3 innings of one-hit ball in his MLB debut. He struck out three.
The Yankees picked up where they left off in Tuesday’s series-opening shutout, breaking Suarez’s 14-inning scoreless streak by jumping out to a 3-0 lead on Rosario’s homer over the Green Monster. Judge drew a one-out walk and Stanton doubled two batters later with two outs to set the table.
Fried worked out of a two-on, no-out jam in the second to keep the home team scoreless, striking out three consecutive batters after Andruw Monasterio walked and Duran knocked a high wall-ball double to lead off the frame.
In the third, Judge stung a leadoff single and Stanton banged a one-out double to left. Rosario then sent a line-drive sac fly to left, extending the New York lead to 4-0.
The Red Sox were unable to cash in baserunners in the next two innings, as Wilyer Abreu had a two-out knock in the third and Duran added his second two-bagger in the fourth. Following the latter knock, Fried retired the final 14 batters he faced.
Brent Headrick was one strike away from pitching New York’s third consecutive shutout for the first time since 1962, but Duran’s knock through the middle scored Trevor Story to break up the bid in the ninth.
–Field Level Media
Mets' Francisco Lindor (calf) exits vs. Twins
Braves blast four homers to bypass Nationals
