Sports
Mitch Marner tallies 3 points as Knights KO Mammoth in Game 6
May 1, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mitch Marner (93) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against the Utah Mammoth during the second period in game six of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images Mitch Marner scored two goals and had an assist as the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Utah Mammoth 5-1 to clinch their first-round Western Conference playoff series in Game 6 on Friday in Salt Lake City.
It was the sixth career three-point playoff game for Marner, tying his postseason high. Brett Howden scored a goal for the third straight game and Colton Sissons and Cole Smith also scored goals for Vegas, which advanced to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs for the sixth time in its nine-year history.
Carter Hart made 21 saves for the Golden Knights, who will face the Ducks in the Western Conference semifinals. Anaheim eliminated the two-time defending conference champion Edmonton Oilers in six games.
Kailer Yamamoto scored a goal and Karel Vejmelka finished with 21 saves for Utah, which was playing its first playoff series since the franchise moved from Arizona in April 2024.
Vegas took a 1-0 lead at the 15:02 mark of the first period. Marner’s shot from the high slot caromed off the end boards straight to Howden parked alone by the left post. Howden swept in a shot for his fourth goal in three games.
The Golden Knights came within inches of doubling the lead early in the second period. Tomas Hertl’s attempt from the left circle squeaked past Vejmelka and was within inches of the goal line before the Mammoth goalie reached back and knocked it away.
Marner made it 2-0 with 44.1 seconds left in the second period. His first goal of the playoffs, a slap shot from the top of the right circle, went past Vejmelka’s glove side and inside the far left corner.
It snapped a 10-game goal drought in the playoffs for Marner that dated back to last season, when he was playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Utah cut the deficit to 2-1 with 12:19 remaining in the third period when Yamamoto came down the right wing and snapped a shot past Hart’s stick side.
Vegas restored the two-goal margin just 1:58 later when Sissons shoveled the rebound of a Brayden McNabb point shot past Vejmelka’s stick side.
Marner sealed the win by netting a power-play goal with 7:51 to go, ripping in a rebound of a Shea Theodore shot from the low slot.
Utah pulled Vejmelka for an extra attacker with 4:15 left, and Smith added an empty-netter from inside his own blue line with 3:36 remaining to end the scoring.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Braves rally from 6-run hole, defeat Rockies on late HR
May 1, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (13) and infielder Ozzie Albies (1) celebrate after scoring during the eighth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images Michael Harris II blasted a pinch-hit, two-run homer in the ninth inning, and the Atlanta Braves rallied late to beat the Colorado Rockies 8-6 in Denver on Friday night.
Matt Olson also went deep, while Austin Riley, Mauricio Dubon and Ronald Acuna had two hits each. Didier Fuentes (1-0) got the win in relief for Atlanta, which erased a six-run deficit and won for the fourth time in its last five.
Mickey Moniak homered among his two hits and Tyler Johnston also had two hits for Colorado, which has lost three of its last four.
The Braves, who trailed 6-1 after six innings, got a run in the seventh and then tied it in the eighth when Zach Agnos and Jaden Hill walked the bases loaded with one out.
Dubon tripled down the right field line to make it 6-5. Then came home with the tying run on Riley’s sacrifice fly.
Juan Mejia (0-3) walked Jonah Heim to lead off the ninth and Harris followed with his seventh homer of the season to give Atlanta the lead.
Robert Suarez pitched the ninth for his fourth save.
The first six Rockies batters reached in the first inning against Grant Holmes, and 10 went to the plate in the frame. Edouard Julien led off with a walk, Moniak singled and Hunter Goodman drove in the first run with a double.
TJ Rumfield followed with an RBI single and Tyler Freeman’s bunt single brought home Goodman to make it 3-0. Johnston’s single loaded the bases, and Willi Castro grounded out to first base to score Rumfield. Freeman came home on Olson’s errant throw to the plate.
Moniak led off the second with his ninth home run of the season to make it 6-0 but Holmes settled down after that. He allowed six runs (five earned) on seven hits and struck out four in his five innings.
Colorado starter Jose Quintana was sharp. He allowed just one hit until Olson’s homer in the fourth and scattered five hits over six innings.
–Field Level Media
Sports
USL, players' union reach tentative CBA deal
May 4, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; General view of BMO Field before an MLS game between FC Dallas and Toronto FC at BMO Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images The United Soccer League is set for at least four years of labor peace after coming to a tentative agreement with the players’ union on a collective bargaining agreement.
The league and the USL Players Association wrote in a statement that the agreement represents “a significant step forward for the league and its players, reflecting a shared commitment to the continued growth of the game and the advancement of professional standards.”
The deal would run through 2030, with an option to make it go an extra year depending upon talks surrounding health insurance.
The minimum salary for players in the USL Championship, currently the league’s top tier, will rise to $42,000, an increase of $11,000. The USL will start a new higher level, USL Premier, to compete on par with Major League Soccer in 2028. The minimum wage in that league will be $67,500.
Entry-level deals will be worth $34,000 in the USL Championship (a hike of $8,000) and $50,000 in the USL Premier.
–Field Level Media
Sports
RJ Barrett's OT heroics push Raptors-Cavs to Game 7
May 1, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward RJ Barrett (9) celebrates after scoring the winning basket against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the overtime period in game six of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images RJ Barrett made a dramatic 3-pointer with 1.2 seconds left in overtime Friday night as the Toronto Raptors defeated the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers 112-110 to force Game 7 of a first-round Eastern Conference playoff series.
Barrett’s Kawhi Leonard-esque bucket from straight away hit the back of the rim, bounced high into the air and fell in between the mesh. The shot was from the same end of the court as Leonard’s four-bounce miracle during Game 7 against the Philadelphia 76ers that sent Toronto to the Eastern Conference finals in 2019.
Asked by a reporter how many times he dreamed about making a big shot like Game 6’s winning basket, Barrett said, “I still dream about it.”
The hoop set up a deciding game Sunday at Cleveland. The home team has won every game in the series.
Scottie Barnes had 25 points and 14 assists for the Raptors. Barrett finished with 24 points, as did Ja’Kobe Walter. Collin Murray-Boyles contributed 17 points.
Evan Mobley had 26 points and 14 rebounds for the Cavaliers. Donovan Mitchell added 24 points, and James Harden had 16 points, nine assists, nine rebounds and four turnovers. Jarrett Allen scored 14 points, while Dean Wade contributed 10.
“I thought we did a lot of good things,” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said. “We rebounded like we asked them to rebound (Cleveland had a 52-38 advantage). We had some really good looks, you know sometimes it’s make or miss but I like a lot of things we did. That’s why you fight so hard to get home-court advantage. We knew this wasn’t going to be easy. This is the playoffs. This is what it’s about.”
Toronto took an 11-point lead into the fourth quarter. After two Cleveland defensive stops, Mitchell nailed a corner 3-pointer and then made a driving layup to reduce the margin to three with 6:54 to go. Mobley’s rebound and dunk cut the gap to one with 5:48 left.
A Barnes free throw had the Raptors up by two with 1:17 to go. Toronto’s shot-clock violation gave Cleveland possession with 15.6 seconds remaining. Mobley’s layup tied the game at 104 with a layup with 11.6 seconds to play in regulation. The Raptors’ Jamal Shead missed a 17-footer to set up overtime.
“We tightened up defensively,” Mitchell said of the Cavs’ fourth-quarter comeback. “I think both sides got a little fatigued naturally in a game like this. We put ourselves in position. We had a bunch of good looks, they didn’t fall and now we’ve got to go home and protect home court.”
After a Toronto turnover, Harden hit a 12-footer to give Cleveland a two-point lead in overtime. Barnes tied it at 108 with a floater with 1:25 to go.
Mitchell’s layup put Cleveland up by two with 33.7 seconds left, and then Shead made one of two free throws to cut the lead to one. Mobley’s turnover gave Toronto the ball with 10.9 left to set up Barrett’s shot.
“Call me crazy, call me psychic, but I saw this one coming tonight … It’s surreal,” Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said, adding that he drew up the play for Barrett. “It was (in the air for) only half a second, but it felt like an eternity. … I was happy for him, for this team, for this city, that the shot went down.”
“To do it in the city where he grew up in, that’s truly amazing,” Barnes said of Barrett, who hails from Mississauga, Ont., about 20 miles southwest of Toronto. “The way that shot went in and when we needed it most, he showed up, that’s big time. It’s hard to wrap your head around.”
After Barrett put the Raptors on top, Mobley was off target on a 29-foot attempt at the OT buzzer.
The game was tied at 32 after one quarter.
The Raptors led by nine points after Barnes spun around Harden before dunking with 7:04 left in the second quarter. Cleveland cut the margin to two before Toronto took a 61-51 halftime lead following Shead’s 3-pointer with 51.3 seconds remaining.
A Cleveland turnover led to Barrett’s running layup and a 15-point lead with 5:02 to play in the third quarter. Toronto led 92-81 after three quarters.
Toronto was without Brandon Ingram (heel) and Immanuel Quickley (hamstring).
–Field Level Media
R-Rated, 80s Heist Thriller Is James Caan's Most Overlooked Masterpiece
Braves rally from 6-run hole, defeat Rockies on late HR
