Sports
I’m Ready To Believe In Memphis Tigers Basketball
After seeing Memphis tee off on No. 16 Ole Miss on Saturday, I think I’m ready to acknowledge something.
I’m a longtime Memphis skeptic, but now I’m getting on board. Penny Hardaway has a serious team, one that can be more than a flash in the pan come March.
Hardaway has been the subject of plenty of criticism, plenty of it deserved, since he was hired from a high school coaching job to take over his alma mater, one of the proudest mid-majors in America. In his first six seasons, he only reached two NCAA Tournaments, winning just one game.
The other seasons were mostly characterized by middling performances in the American Athletic Conference, a league the Tigers have had the talent to rip through. Last January, for one example, they lost four in a row in January after a 15-2 start to the year—capped by a home loss to Rice, of all teams—but some AP voters were still throwing a few votes Memphis’ way because of, I dunno, the brand?
Players came in and out of the program long before the portal was truly in vogue. There was the James Wiseman eligibility debacle and a team that had not only Wiseman (for three games) but also future NBA players Precious Achiuwa and Lester Quinones still underachieved. Hardaway cursed out the media after a loss in January 2022, when the questions started getting more pointed before the coach made his first tourney.
Even this very fall, Hardaway fired his entire coaching staff about two months before the season—and we still don’t really know why.
Chaos combined with losses to the Tulanes and Rices of the world made it easy not to take Hardaway’s program seriously, but I’m not one to argue with results.
When Memphis upended Ole Miss on Saturday, handing the Rebels just their second loss of the season, it marked the Tigers’ eighth win against Quads 1 and 2—they had six all of last season. The Tigers have gone 10-3 against the fifth-hardest schedule in the country. And Memphis beat Ole Miss in every facet of the game, recovering from a loss to Mississippi State the prior week that Hardaway admitted the team was too exhausted to be at their best for.
Hardaway spoke to “The Field of 68: After Dark” on Saturday night, and I was most impressed with his answer when asked about Memphis quieting its doubters.
“I came in as a newbie and I really thought it was gonna be much easier than what it was because I knew the game, I knew I was gonna work,” Hardaway said. “My biggest problem was the culture. My culture was never really good up until this year.
“I failed at a lot of things, and it frustrated me because I thought that it was gonna be better. The criticism was warranted. All I did was just try to suck it up and go, ‘OK, you know what you can do.’ I went out and got a staff that I was very comfortable with and that allowed me to be me.”
That’s someone who’s done some genuine self-reflection and growth. Someone who isn’t going to let another team unravel late in the season.
Something that will help Hardaway is a roster that isn’t top-heavy. There’s a good mix of veterans who have played for winning programs (Tyrese Hunter, Dain Dainja), a fearless lead scorer (PJ Haggerty) and glue guys like Nick Jourdain and Colby Rogers, who shot 6-of-9 from three for 28 points against Ole Miss.
This team already failed to take care of business for a should-win home game against Arkansas State just three weeks ago, but you know what? I’ll forgive and forget. I just want to see Memphis not get pushed around by Florida Atlantic on Thursday to open AAC play. If the Tigers take care of business in January and February, Hardaway’s critics will only get quieter.
Sports
J.J. Moser, Lightning bounce back for OT win over Habs
Apr 21, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; Montreal Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle (21) collides with Tampa Bay Lightning center Yanni Gourde (37) in the second period during game two of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Benchmark International Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images J.J. Moser scored 12:48 into overtime, giving the host Tampa Bay Lightning a 3-2 comeback victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday and evening their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series at one win each.
Tampa Bay fully controlled the game in the extra period and was rewarded when Moser found the net. He gained the puck off a faceoff win in the offensive zone, worked his way to a shooting position at the top of the right circle and wired a top-corner shot for his first career playoff tally.
Montreal, which won Game 1 in overtime, was outshot 9-0 in overtime of Game 2.
The series shifts to Montreal for Game 3 on Friday.
Tampa Bay’s Brandon Hagel collected a goal and an assist. Nikita Kucherov tallied once, Anthony Cirelli collected two assists and goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy made 25 saves for Tampa Bay, which snapped a collection of playoff swoons.
The Lightning had lost four consecutive and 10 of 11 postseason home games, plus seven straight overtime affairs during Stanley Cup playoff action.
Lane Hutson and Josh Anderson tallied for the Canadiens, while goalie Jakub Dobes stopped 31 shots, including eight in overtime.
The clubs traded goals in a chippy first period. Hagel put the Lightning on the board at 8:40 with his team’s first shot on target. The puck came to Hagel at the top of the left circle, and he unloaded a top-corner slap shot that for his third goal of the series.
Hutson tied the clash less then six minutes later with Montreal’s fourth power-play goal in the series. Hutson sent a one-timer from the point position that ricocheted off a defender and into the net for his first career playoff tally.
Anderson gave Montreal the lead with 84 seconds remaining in the second period. Jake Evans won a battle for the puck deep in the Tampa Bay zone and Phillip Danault chipped it to the front of the net, where Anderson was waiting to chip it into the cage for his second goal of the series.
Kucherov evened the score at 12:33 of the third period. Hagel intercepted a poor clearing attempt and fired a long shot wide. Kucherov grabbed the loose puck behind the net and converted a wraparound for his first playoff goal in 17 outings. His last playoff goal came on April 18, 2023, the opener of a first-round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Rangers open homestand with victory over Pirates
Apr 21, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers designated hitter Joc Pederson (3) celebrates with catcher Danny Jansen (9) after scoring a run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the second inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Kumar Rocker allowed one run on four hits over a season-high six innings and the Texas Rangers began a nine-game homestand with a 5-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday.
Rocker (1-1) walked one and struck out five for Texas, which returned home after playing 16 of its first 22 games on the road. Cole Winn, Jacob Latz and Jakob Junis each pitched a scoreless inning in relief.
Jake Mangum and Nick Gonzales had two hits apiece for the Pirates, who have lost three of their last five.
Pittsburgh took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when leadoff hitter Oneil Cruz singled, stole second, moved to third on an error, and scored on Ryan O’Hearn’s single up the middle.
Texas moved ahead with two runs in the second against Carmen Mlodzinski (1-1), who had not allowed an earned run in his last 13 innings.
Joc Pederson singled to begin the inning, went to third on Josh Jung’s double to center, and scored on Evan Carter’s single. After Danny Jansen struck out, Jung scored from third on Josh Smith’s sacrifice fly.
The Pirates put two runners on with two outs in the fifth, but Rocker escaped unscathed when Carter reached over the center-field wall to rob Cruz of a three-run homer.
Texas tacked on three runs and knocked Mlodzinski out of the game in the fifth. Smith hit a leadoff double, moved to third on Brandon Nimmo’s fly out, and scored on Ezequiel Duran’s double.
Wilber Dotel replaced Mlodzinski after Corey Seager delivered an RBI single to center. Jake Burger greeted Dotel with a single and Joc Pederson walked to load the bases before Seager scored on Jung’s force out.
Mlodzinski allowed five runs on six hits over 4 1/3 innings while throwing a season-high 93 pitches. He walked two and struck out six.
Mangum singled with one out in the seventh and was stranded after Konnor Griffin flied out and Henry Davis fanned on three pitches.
Texas left fielder Wyatt Langford exited the game in the fifth inning with right forearm tightness and was replaced by Duran.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Royals take advantage of Orioles' wild pitches, snap 8-game skid
Apr 21, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia (11) slides into home to score a run against Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman (35) during the fifth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images Maikel Garcia scored on a wild pitch in the ninth inning and the Kansas City Royals snapped their eight-game losing streak with 6-5 win over the visiting Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday.
Ryan Helsey (0-2) walked Garcia and Bobby Witt Jr. to open the ninth of the 5-5 contest. The runners reached second and third on a wild pitch, and Garcia darted home to score the winner on another wild one pitch from Helsey — his second of the inning and Baltimore’s fourth of the game — that bounced onto the infield grass.
Kyle Isbel had three hits and Michael Massey clubbed a tying solo homer in the eighth for the Royals, who overcame an early 3-0 hole for their first win since April 11.
Lucas Erceg (1-1) pitched one scoreless inning as Kansas City evened the three-game set heading into the Wednesday afternoon finale.
Adley Rutschman came off the 10-day injured list to hit a two-run go-ahead homer in the eighth for the Orioles, who have lost six of eight.
Kansas City’s Kris Bubic opened the second inning by allowing a single to Jeremiah Jackson and a walk to Weston Watson. With one out, Coby Mayo sent a drive well into the left field seats for a 3-0 Baltimore lead.
Those were only runs yielded by Bubic over 6 1/3 innings. He permitted five hits and three walks while striking out three.
Kansas City got a run back in the bottom of the second. Carter Jensen doubled, went to third on Shane Baz’s wild pitch and scored via a sacrifice fly by Massey.
The Royals tied the contest in the fifth. Isbel doubled and scored on a single by Garcia, who eventually came home courtesy of Vinnie Pasquantino’s sacrifice fly.
Kansas City took the lead in the seventh when Isbel doubled down the left line, went to third on another Baz wild pitch and scored on Witt’s sacrifice fly to right.
The Orioles regained the lead in the eighth. Rutschman, with a man aboard, barely cleared the left-center-field wall off Matt Strahm to make it 5-4 with his first homer of the season.
Massey’s towering homer leading off the bottom of the eighth was first hit allowed by Baltimore’s Rico Garcia in 12 appearances this year.
Baz yielded four runs and eight hits over 6 1/3 innings. He fanned four and walked two.
–Field Level Media
J.J. Moser, Lightning bounce back for OT win over Habs
Rangers open homestand with victory over Pirates
